Fury FC came through with some late-game heroics Sunday afternoon at TD Place, but it still wasn't enough to earn them the victory.

Ottawa got themselves a point in a 2-2 draw against the Carolina RailHawks thanks to a last-second goal by midfielder Oliver off a corner kick. The Brazilian managed to make contact and send the ball on goal, with Carolina goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald getting to it but only after the ball had barely crossed the goal line.

As Ottawa players celebrated -- with keeper Romuald Peiser running down the pitch to join in the festivities -- Carolina players raced after the referees, livid the play had been ruled a goal well into injury time.

Both Oliver and head coach Marc Dos Santos were happy but reserved with the result as both believed Ottawa, the better team through long stretches of this one, was good enough to secure the win.

Still, it was another character point for a team that didn't give up on the game despite conceding the tying and go-ahead goal in a span of five second-half minutes.

"We have to believe until the end," said Oliver, adding he believed the referee made the right call on the goal but said he hadn't seen the replay yet.

"It would be better if we got the win."

Dos Santos said it was about time a call went his team's way after a second half full of bizarre missed and non-calls on Ottawa.

"It's more than fair result for what we've done," said Dos Santos.

Though Ottawa seemed to sit back on its collective heels after conceding the tying goal to Danny Barrera when the Carolina player floated a nice lob over Peiser in the 61st minute after Fury had been unable to clear the ball. Only three minutes later, Ottawa defender Omar Jarun was knocked out of the play when he took a hard shot to the head, with the ball winding up on the foot of Carolina's Ty Shipalane, who beat him on a shot Peiser got a piece of.

But Ottawa didn't let up, with Tommy Heinemann nearly scoring his second of the match late but saw his header bounce off the post. Ottawa was also robbed of at least one penalty kick -- and likely two -- on horrendous missed calls by the referees.

Dos Santos said the RailHawks "were very lucky in the bounces they got."

"It would have been extremely unfair for us to leave this stadium without at least a point," Dos Santos said.

Heinemann got Ottawa on the board first in the 25th minute when Fury midfielder Tony Donatelli picked up a horrendous Carolina giveaway just above the penalty box and then fed Sinisa Ubiparipovic, who one-touched a short pass to Heinemann, who buried it.

Carolina was playing without a number of regulars, most notably striker Zach Shilawski, who has returned to school and is expected only to play home matches. The RailHawks were also without the services of top centre back Connor Tobin.

Ottawa wasn't about to offer up any sympathy on the missing players front. The team finally had something resembling a regular back line with the return of defender Omar Jarun from injury and Ryan Richter from a loan recall to Toronto FC. Drew Beckie, who has been out three weeks with an ankle injury, dressed as a substitute Sunday but didn't play.

Peiser was strong all game and didn't have much chance on either Carolina goals. He wound up making eight saves.

Fury was also without the services of injured forward Carl Haworth and forward Phil Davies, who picked up a one-game ban for being sent off on two yellow cards last week. "

chris.hofley@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @chrishofley

If you are using a mobile device, and cannot see thelive blog window, click here.