Colin Miller was not happy FC Edmonton were defeated Sunday at Clarke Stadium, but it was the manner of the loss which really irked the head coach.

Edmonton gave two goals away in the 2-0 loss to Miami FC, bringing an end to their 10-game unbeaten streak at home.

“If the players are feeling half as disappointed as I am at the moment, in the manner that we got beat ...” Miller said following the game. “It’s one thing getting beat, I can hold my hands up if we got beat, if we haven’t tried or we got hammered by the opposition. That’s not been the case here. It’s just the two goals that we’ve given away, it’s criminal at this level.”

Two defensive mistakes cost Edmonton the game and jeopardized their chances of catching the New York Cosmos at the top of the North American Soccer League Fall Seasons standings.

In the first half, midfielder Nico Di Biase turned the ball over at the top of his own penalty area leading to Miami’s first goal. Then in the second half, defender Papé Diakité allowed the ball to go over his head where an opponent was first to run on to it.

Yet, outside of the two blunders were plenty of positives in the contest, which Edmonton can take into their next game, Wednesday (7 p.m.) at Clarke Stadium against Rayo Oklahoma City.

One of the most positive aspects of the contest was the play of midfielder Ben Fisk, who was a last-minute replacement for the injured Daryl Fordyce.

Fisk was arguably FC Edmonton’s best player, creating a number of offensive opportunities.

“I thought he was one of the real positives of (Sunday’s) performance,” Miller said. “He’s been chomping at the bit. he’s played very well in training and has been dangerous and he gave us a little bit of life.”

Fisk, 23, joined FC Edmonton in late July after spending the previous two seasons in the Spanish second division.

A former member of Canada’s Under-20 and current member of the U-23 side, Fisk had been used sparingly until Sunday.

“It was my first start, and obviously, I was really excited,” Fisk said. “I just wanted to bring some positive energy to the team and create some chances going forward. I think I did that and made a good impression going forward. Personally I’m happy, but with the result, I’m not.”

Fisk came within inches of scoring when he cut inside from his left midfield spot and hammered a shot, which hit the underside of the crossbar.

Later in the half, Fisk combined with left fullback Adam Eckersley to set up a goal by striker Tomi Ameobi. Unfortunately for Edmonton, the goal was incorrectly called back offside.

“I’m a guy that is good with both feet, I can cross with my left or go inside with my right, so I like that position,” Fisk said. “Playing with Eckersley down the left there, I think we combine very well together, we have good understanding, so I think it’s a good fit for me.”

Fisk’s opportunity to start arose when Fordyce picked up an injury in the final training session prior to the contest.

Fordyce was to play in his 100th game for FC Edmonton. He may not be available to the club Wednesday against Rayo OKC.

“Unfortunately, he just tweaked his knee a little bit, so it’s touch and go whether he’ll be OK for Wednesday,” Millers said. “Fingers crossed, he will be, but it was just the way he controlled the ball it went off the edge of his toe, believe it or not, and he tweaked his knee.”

If Fordyce is not fit to play, Fisk will likely get his second start with Edmonton, who have an abundance of talent heading down the home stretch of the season.

“Fisky, it doesn’t surprise me, because he’s a quality young player,” Miller said. “And he’ll get his run of games now.”

The loss left Edmonton six points back of the Cosmos in the Fall Season standings with two games in hand. Following their game against Rayo OKC, Edmonton will travel to New York to face the Cosmos on Saturday.

Edmonton is anxious to get back on the field after the loss to Miami, particularly considering they’ve gone three games without a victory. Prior to the loss, Edmonton were held to a scoreless tie at home by Puerto Rico FC and drew 2-2, on the road, against the Ottawa Fury.

“Definitely, for me personally, coming off a loss, I’d like to get back on the pitch tomorrow if I could,” Fisk said. “So Wednesday is a great opportunity for us to do that.”

Dvandiest@postmedia.com

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