Low's Last Gasp Gives RailHawks 1-0 Win, First Place
August 5, 2009 - USL First Division (USL-1)
North Carolina FC News Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The RailHawks golden finishing touch of late was in danger of losing its luster Wednesday night, but Kupono Low broke through as the match neared full time and the RailHawks snatched a 1-0 win from the clutches a scoreless draw with the Rhinos at Marina Auto Stadium.
After seeing nearly a half dozen scoring chances miss their mark - including a couple from Low - the RailHawks made the most of their final one. Andriy Budnyy was sprung free down the right side, but once he gained control of the ball, he didn't have a shot on goal. He pulled it back and drifted away from the goal, pulling a pair of Rhinos defenders with him. Then he quickly turned a flung the ball toward the near post, and Low redirected it in.
"We came in with a bit of a different game plan," said Carolina coach Martin Rennie. "Sometimes away from home, you need to stay in the game. Sometimes we've looked to get on the ball and dictate too much. After we weathered the initial phase, I thought we got position and moved the ball. We created some chances and were deserving of the win."
The win, Carolina's third straight and eighth in nine matches, gives the RailHawks (12-5-3, 39 points) sole possession of first place in the USL First Division, the first time they've been at the top of the table since May 29. Their 12 wins are also most in the league, and the 39 points in the table sets a new club record for the third-year RailHawks.
It's also Carolina's first win in four visits to Rochester and second straight in the series after failing to win any of the first six (0-2-4).
The elation of the final minutes wouldn't have been possible if not for the Rhinos' similar troubles finishing early. With the RailHawks' midfield lacking cohesion early, the Rhinos nearly scored twice in the first three minutes.
In the second minute, Rochester midfielder Tiger Fitzpatrick served a ball to forward Errol McFarlane, who headed it high from six yards out. A minute later, McFarlane got another chance from Fitzpatrick, but Carolina goalkeeper Caleb Patterson turned away his try from 12 yards out.
"I think it took us a while to find our men in midfield," Rennie said. "Fitzpatrick was in good position, but once we came to grips with that, I thought we handled it well."
Low had a pair of strong chances in the first half. In the 12th minute, Luke Kreamalmeyer made a dashing run down the right side and centered to Low. Wide open, Low took his time but sent the shot with the outside of his left foot inches wide of the frame.
Five minutes later, again Kreamalmeyer did all the work down the right side to set up Low. This time, Rochester defender John Ball slid in front of Low and blocked his shot. The ball appeared to glance Ball's arm as he lay on the turf, but no penalty was awarded.
The closer to the goal the Rhinos (8-7-5) got, the harder they made it on themselves. In the 39th minute, a quick long ball unbalanced the Carolina backline and created an opening for Mike Ambersley. He walked into the area with Tolleson marking closely but pushed the shot from about eight yards out wide of the goal.
That was one of the Rhinos' last chances for a while, and the RailHawks started getting forward with more ferocity.
In the 41st minute, Mark Schulte got on the other end of a Kreamalmeyer corner kick, but Rochester goalie Scott Vallow smothered Schulte's header at the far post.
In the 50th minute, Rochester gave the ball away to Sallieu Bundu in their own penalty area, but Bundu responded in kind by mishitting the ball and giving it right back to the Rhinos.
In the 54th minute, Brad Rusin sprang Kreamalmeyer free down the middle, but Vallow came way out and denied Kreamalmeyer the chance to score one on his former team.
In the 69th minute, Rochester again shanked a chance from close range. After Carolina knocked down the initial ball, it bounced right to McFarlane waiting at the edge of the six-yard box, but he hit the shot way over the goal.
In the 81st minute, Shields, making his first start for Carolina, played a spectacular long ball down the right side to Budnyy. Budnyy played it off a short hop and hit a wicked knuckler just over the goal.
In the 84th minute, Patterson denied McFarlane once again, this time on a header from 10 yards away. That saved ensured Patterson's seventh shutout of the season and the RailHawks' 12th, and it pushed the RailHawks' shutout streak to 310 minutes.
Budnyy nearly got one again in the 89th minute. On a 2-v-1, Daniel Paladini laid the ball off to Budnyy, but his shot went right at Vallow.
A minute later, Budnyy erred on the side of caution when another potential look at the goal presented itself. That decision proved to be the difference between taking a point from Rochester and returning to Cary with three.
"It's always a good to get a win, but especially right at the end," Rennie said. "It's a big confidence boost."
The RailHawks look to stay atop the USL-1 and put some space between themselves and the rest of the league on Saturday, when they meet the last-place Cleveland City Stars on Saturday at WakeMed Soccer Park at 7 p.m.
USL First Division Stories from August 5, 2009
- Low's Last Gasp Gives RailHawks 1-0 Win, First Place - North Carolina FC
- Timbers host Vancouver, Charleston at PGE Park - Portland Timbers
- RedHawks to hold free clinic Sunday, August 9 - North Carolina FC
- Whitecaps Battle League Leaders This Week - Vancouver Whitecaps
- Miami FC Going Bald for Fans - Fort Lauderdale Strikers
- Battery heads to Pacific Northwest for two - Charleston Battery
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