Tommy Heinemann is smiling a bit more in training these days.

He's still one of the most intense guys out on the pitch for Ottawa Fury FC and his growl when he's mad is still slightly terrifying, but the proverbial spring in his step appears to have returned to the Missouri-born striker.

Until four matches ago, Heinemann was mired in a six-game scoring slump, his confidence had taken a hit and he was replaced by Vini Dantas in the starting 11 against Fort Lauderdale Aug. 9.

Heinemann would come into that match in the 58th minute of what turned into a bitterly disappointing home loss. It also seemed to light a fire under Fury as a whole.

Heinemann played the full match the following weekend at home to San Antonio and busted out of his scoring slump in exciting fashion, scoring in the 89th minute to draw the Scorpions 1-1. He followed that effort up in the next match in Indy, as he and midfielder Sinisa Ubiparipovic -- who is also playing his best soccer to date with the club -- found the back of the net to get Fury its first win of the season.

Ottawa dropped an ugly one to Tampa Bay the following week but Heinemann again found the score sheet this past weekend, as he finished a beautiful play with Ubiparipovic and Tony Donatelli for the game's first goal. Oliver scored at the death to land Fury another draw.

Heinemann isn't doing cartwheels of excitement -- the team still sits last on the fall season table, after all -- but he agrees the team has turned something of a corner.

"A little bit, yeah," he said Wednesday after training at TD Place. "It's nice that the team's scoring goals. We were struggling to hit the back of the net so it's nice to get that going.

"Now it's about getting three points."

Fury coach Marc Dos Santos repeated that he wasn't overly worried when the team wasn't scoring but is happy to see the extra work -- forwards and midfielders have been coming early to some sessions to work on finishing drills -- is paying off for his players.

"Hard work pays off and I'm not surprised we're scoring," he said.

Heinemann's opening goal on Sunday is exactly the type of quick-touch ball movement Dos Santos wants to see more of.

"We won the ball and after it was everything pretty much with one touch and beautiful (work) between the two central midfielders and the forward," he said.

Ottawa will look for more of that as Fury travels to Tampa Bay late this week to play the Rowdies Saturday.

DOS SANTOS NOT LOVING LAST

Dos Santos likes a lot about what his expansion side has done this season, but he admits some areas he wants to improve on will have to wait until next season. For now, it's about maximizing what he can get out of the current tools in his arsenal.

But Dos Santos has never coached a last-place team and he's adamant Fury will deal with growing pains and become better.

"I think a lot of things are good (but with) a lot of things we still look like an expansion team," Dos Santos said Tuesday. "I didn't think we would look so much like an expansion team in some parts of the season but we do look like one sometimes."

What Fury fans can take comfort in is that Dos Santos is committed to making these team a contender, however long that would take.

He said Tuesday he wouldn't accept a job from another club if one came looking for a coach tomorrow, even at the MLS level.

"I would say no thank you," he said.

NEW PLAYERS IN

Fury should be making at least one new player announcement -- and possibly two -- in the near future. Jamaican defender O'Brian Woodbine has been training with the club for a week and his signing should be finalized soon, while former Old Dominion Monarchs defender Jason Gaylord began a trial with Fury Wednesday. Woodbine was released by New England of the MLS earlier this summer after not making any first team appearances with the club.

While injured defender Drew Beckie is nearing a return from an ankle injury, Ottawa is addressing significant need on the back line by bringing in Woodbine and possibly Gaylord, especially since Fury has likely seen the last of Ryan Richter. While Richter came back to Ottawa to start against Carolina last weekend, he returned to Toronto FC to provide depth on a back end that has also been decimated by injury. Richter didn't play in the three matches for TFC in which he dressed after his loan to Ottawa was recalled, but it seems unlikely Toronto will want to part with any defender for the foreseeable future.

SIDELINES

Fury Academy player Yehya Al-Katta continues to improve while training with the pro squad and looks much more comfortable out there than he did when he first arrived a few weeks ago. The Messi-sized teen takes the occasional beating from some of the bigger players but says he's enjoying the experience and is trying to learn everything he can from the professionals while he's with the squad ... Goalkeeper Romuald Peiser was named to the NASL's Team of the Week after making eight saves in a 2-2 draw against Carolina last weekend ... With the RedBlacks off this week, Fury had taken advantage of not having to rush off the field after training, allowing players to stick around and work on whatever they need to work on for a while longer. Or play soccer tennis ... The NASL roster freeze begins Sept. 15 and runs until the end of the season.

chris.hofley@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @chrishofley