RailHawks Earn a Well-Deserved Point at Jacksonville
August 6, 2016 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
North Carolina FC News Release
Jacksonville, Fla.- The RailHawks (2W-2D-2L) fought hard to earn a point at Jacksonville (1W-3D-4L) after producing none on the road last week. The final score of 2-2 tonight mirrored the NASL Spring Season 0-0 fixture between Carolina and the Armada. Forward Matt Fondy was quick to strike against his former squad, scoring the first goal of the night; and Omar Bravo netted his first tally at an away match in a RailHawks jersey.
Carolina came out hungry for a goal, as the team was scoreless in its last two away games in Canada. Fondy did not hesitate to make his presence known in his previous home stadium, as he scored a goal in the sixth minute. Bravo started the action with a perfect second assist to Drew Beckie. Beckie then slotted the ball to Fondy, who easily put it past the Armada goalkeeper Sean Lewis. Fondy nearly had his second of the night in the 16th minute when Tiyi Shipalane found the forward in the box, but his quick shot went just wide.
Jacksonville responded in the 19th minute as Charles Eloundou scored his first goal for his club, sending an unassisted shot over Akira Fitzgerald's head. Eloundou went for his second just two minutes later, but Fitzgerald denied his ground shot.
The remainder of the first half saw solid attempts from both teams, but none of the attempts were enough to take the lead. With near equal possession in 45 minutes, Carolina and Jacksonville went into the locker room tied at 1-1.
The Armada surged ahead when Eloundou struck at the start of the second half in another unassisted play. The forward weaved through the Carolina defense to knock it by Fitzgerald for the second time.
Carolina did not let the goal get them down, and they continued to put pressure on Jacksonville's back line. Midfielder Shipalane found the net in the 56th minute after a scramble in the Jacksonville box, but his goal was ruled offside. Another opportunity came in the 65th minute when Bravo tapped a ball to Beckie whose shot fired wide left.
Finally, Carolina's hard work paid off when Bravo headed in the equalizer off of a beautiful cross from Steven Miller in the 69th minute. The Mexican International's impeccable timing in the air made the score 2-2.
The RailHawks were forced to play down a man for the remaining 20 minutes when Austin da Luz was sent off in the 70th after receiving a second yellow card for a late slide tackle. Matt Watson entered the match shortly after and immediately made an impact. Looking for the winning goal, the midfielder crushed a shot a few inches wide of the post.
Both sides looked for the go-ahead goal in the closing minutes. The Armada created multiple chances while the RailHawks looked dangerous on counterattacks. Jacksonville's greatest opportunity to take the lead came in extra time; Anthony Wallace took a shot that barely went over the crossbar. The RailHawks' resilient defense was strong enough to hold onto the point, ending the match at 2-2.
Hawk Hits: * Matt Fondy's goal was his third of the season in six games played * Omar Bravo's goal was his first at an away match in a RailHawks jersey * Drew Beckie and Steven Miller had their first assists of the season * Tonight's possession was almost equal; Carolina controlled 50.8 percent and Jacksonville controlled 49.2 percent * Bravo was the captain in place of Nazmi Albadawi who did not travel due to injury * Matt Watson returned to the field tonight after an injury kept him home when the team played two games in Canada last week * Austin da Luz received his first red card of the season after accumulating two yellow cards * Brian Shriver is the only RailHawk to play all 17 games this season * The RailHawks host the newest NASL team, Puerto Rico FC, on Saturday, August 13 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game is the sixth annual Kicks 4 Kids Night * Kicks 4 Kids Night is a special game night where tickets are distributed to underprivileged children and families who would normally be unable to attend RailHawks games. Corporate sponsors and individual donors provide tax-deductible ticket donations through the RailHawks Spread Your Wings Charity
Boxscore: JAX 2 CAR 2
Lineups: JAX: Sean Lewis; Tyler Ruthven ©,Beto Navarro, Karl Ouimette, Bryan Burke (Danny Barrow 77); Anthony Wallace, Lucas Scaglia (Pekka Lagerblom 58), Nicklas Maripuu, Kevan George (Pascal Millien 90); Alex Andersson, Charles Eloundou
Subs not used: Miguel Gallardo, Mechack Jerome, Jemal Johnson, Patrick Otte
CAR: Akira Fitzgerald; Paul Black, Kareem Moses, Mickey Daly, Steven Miller; Austin da Luz, Drew Beckie, Tiyi Shipalane (Marvin Ceballos 84), Brian Shriver (Jonathon Orlando 79); Omar Bravo © (Matt Watson 71), Matt Fondy
Subs not used: Macklin Robinson, Brian Sylvestre; Jose Morales Jr., Billy Schuler
Goals: JAX: Eloundou 19, 51 CAR: Fondy 6 (Bravo, Beckie), Bravo 69 (Miller)
Cautions: JAX: -- CAR: da Luz 31, 70
Ejections: JAX: -- CAR: da Luz 70
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- RailHawks Earn a Well-Deserved Point at Jacksonville - North Carolina FC
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