Sports stats



NASL North Carolina FC

RailHawks Fall to Strikers on the Road

October 17, 2015 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
North Carolina FC News Release


FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (October 17, 2015) - The Carolina RailHawks lost 4-0 Saturday night at Lockhart Stadium against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. Despite the loss to the Strikers, the RailHawks are still in the hunt for the fourth NASL Championship playoff spot.

The match began with strong possession by the RailHawks. The best opportunities in the first half for the RailHawks came at the feet of Tiyi Shipalane and Nacho Novo. Novo was involved in one of the RailHawks' first good efforts in the 12th minute when he barely missed a chance created by Shipalane inside the box.

Despite controlling possession early in the game, the RailHawks went into halftime trailing 2-0. The Strikers first put themselves on the board in the 21st minute with a Frankie Sanfilippo header that beat Akira Fitzgerald to the far post. The Strikers found the back of the once more in the first half in the 30th minute with an impressive sharp angled finish by Jonathan Borrajo. Aiming to get the offense going, Head Coach Colin Clarke inserted Tyler Engel in place of Daniel Jackson in the 40th minute.

Seemingly undeterred by the score, the RailHawks jumped to the pitch ready to battle back in the second half. Unfortunately, the Strikers added to their lead in the 48th minute with a Marlon Freitas goal to the far corner and one additional goal in the 56th minute in which Stefano Pinho scored on an open net. Clarke then decided to change the pace of the game by adding fresh ideas in the midfield in the feet of Wells Thompson and Leo Osaki.

Not a team to succumb, the RailHawks still looked to add their own goals into the mix. Nothing seemed to go the RailHawks' way, as a Nacho Novo shot in the 81st minute was just barely wide of the net and a RailHawks free kick in the 88th minute was blocked by a wall of Strikers. The final score would be 4-0.

The RailHawks will continue their Championship push on Saturday, October 24th at 7:30 pm ET against the Tampa Bay Rowdies at Al Lang Stadium. The match will be broadcast live locally in North Carolina at WRAL2 and nationally on ESPN3.

The last regular season home game will feature Fan Appreciation Night festivities including a postgame fireworks display, team poster giveaway and player autographs. On Fan Appreciation Night the RailHawks will host the Indy Eleven at WakeMed Soccer Park on Friday, October 30th at 7:30 pm ET.

Check out the North Carolina FC Statistics

• Discuss this story on the North American Soccer League message board...

North American Soccer League Stories from October 17, 2015


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central