— What unfolded Saturday evening at WakeMed Soccer Park was a synopsis of the Carolina RailHawks’ 2015 season.

The first half against the visiting New York Cosmos, like Carolina’s NASL spring season, saw a lively cast of Hawks with their wings spread, talons flashing and capable of competing with and defeating any team in the league.

The second stanza mirrored the team’s fall season, reflecting a Carolina club in utter free fall, wounded by injuries, a lack of roster depth, a porous defense and an indescribable ebb in confidence.

The Cosmos scored three unanswered second-half goals over the outmatched RailHawks on their way to 3-1 road victory. It’s the RailHawks’ fourth loss in five games and their third consecutive loss by two goals or more.

“After last week, one of the things coming out of the locker room was working harder for one another,” said team captain Connor Tobin. “I thought we were doing that. I thought our movement off the ball was better, we were getting our shape better. Then a couple of lapses, and with where we’re at and the struggles we’re going through, you could feel [the confidence] go out of us.”

The RailHawks flew out to start the match looking fully recovered from their two 3-0 road losses last week. In the 16th minute, a Tiyi Shipalane corner found an unmarked Daniel Scott on the back post. The carom off Scott’s head pierced the goal line to put Carolina up 1-0.

The home side advantage remained into halftime thanks to the efforts of RailHawks goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald. The Cosmos stepped up their offensive onslaught after going down a goal, but Fitzgerald held the visitors at bay with five saves in the first half alone.

In the waning seconds of the opening stanza, a Cosmos slide tackle took Shipalane down as he drove towards goal. No booking came from the center referee, and an injured Shipalane came off at intermission.

After the match, RailHawks manager Colin Clarke said Shipalane injured the same ankle that took him out of a couple of games earlier in the fall season. Clarke fumed over the Cosmos’ tactics.

“They looked like they came here to kick [Shipalane] tonight, and they did that—they kicked him out of the game,” Clarke said. “I don’t think the referee gave him enough protection. There were probably four or five fouls on him in the first half.”

The Cosmos equalized the score mere seconds into the second half. Hunter Freeman airmailed a cross that bounced past two RailHawks and onto the foot of the Cosmos’ Leo Fernandes, whose left-footed poke tied the score at 1-1.

New York then took the lead in the 54th minute. A cross off the left flank by Fernandes found striker Lucky Mkosana on a wrong-sided Scott. Mkosana’s stretch volley snuck past Fitzgerald for a 2-1 Cosmos lead. It’s the first time the Cosmos have ever lead a game against the RailHawks at WakeMed Soccer Park.

The Cosmos collision continued three minutes later. Fernandes’ shot in box was saved by Fitzgerald, but as the keeper scrambled to gather the rebound, Andrés Flores played over to Adam Moffat, whose angled rocket found the open goal for the 3-1 final margin.

The remainder of the match was a matter of adding injury to insult. Kupono Low came off with a knock, requiring Tobin to switch from his already unnatural right back position to an even more unnatural left back. Chris Nurse suffered leg cramps late in the game. The RailHawks were already playing without Wells Thompson and Mark Anderson due to injuries, according to Clarke. Meanwhile, striker Simone Bracalello was inactive for the match due to “a coach’s decision.”

Clarke says Shipalane’s ankle injury initially appears significant, and he may be out of action indefinitely.

The RailHawks (5-7-7, 22 pts.) slide into a tie for seventh in the NASL combined table and ninth in the fall season standings. Carolina next travels to New York next Sunday for a rematch against the Cosmos. Carolina returns to Cary on Friday, Sept. 4, to host the Atlanta Silverbacks.

“We’re not in a good spot. There’s no sugarcoating it,” Clarke said. “We’re having a tough run right now. The only way to get out of it is to work harder as a group and coaches and try to fight our way out of the run we’re in.”

BOX SCORE

LINEUPS

CAR: Fitzgerald; Low (Coleman 74’), Danso, Scott, Tobin; Nurse, Hlavaty (Dell, 67’); da Luz, Albadawi, Shipalane (Engel, 45’); Novo

NYC: Maurer; Freeman, Caceres, Evuy, Garcia; Moffat; Fernandes, Flores, Restrepo (Szetela, 90’); Mkosana (Bover, 85’), Raul

GOALS

CAR: Scott, 16’ (Shipalane)

NYC: Fernandes, 46’ (Unassisted); Mkosana, 54’ (Freeman); Moffat 57’ (Flores)

CAUTIONS

CAR: Scott (28’)

NYC: Freeman (44’)

EJECTIONS

CAR: --

NYC: --