For those who felt the Carolina RailHawks’ 3-0 defeat at Jacksonville last Wednesday was a competitive clash, the RailHawks sought to undercut themselves Sunday afternoon at FC Edmonton. Alas, the migrating Hawks could only duplicate their midweek maladies, as three first-half Edmonton goals were the summation of another 3-0 RailHawks road loss.

The RailHawks have not won at Edmonton since 2011. The only previous occasion in the RailHawks’ nine-year club history that it lost consecutive league matches by three goals or more each was during its 2007 debut season.

The Eddies unleashed their avalanche starting in the 11th minute. A backfield giveaway by Carolina’s Wells Thompson—one of what felt like a dozen such poorly placed turnovers in the first half—quickly segued into a through ball by Edmonton’s Dustin Corea ahead to Tomi Ameobi. Edmonton’s co-leading goal scorer slotted his shot past Carolina goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald for the early 1-0 lead.

Thompson left the match in the 18th minute, an injury-necessitated substitution that also afforded him a reprieve from the ensuing onslaught.

A loose ball off a RailHawks’ set piece in the 27th minute ended up the feet of Edmonton's Lance Laing, who launched a one-man counterattack. Laing galloped through Carolina’s perfunctory defense before navigating around fullback Blake Wagner and depositing his shot just into the near post to double the advantage.

Both Laing and Ameobi have seven goals on the NASL season, tops for their team and tied for third-most in the league.

In the 37th minute, Daryl Fordyce centered a ball to Corea atop the box. The winger found space and rocketed his shot into the far netting for a 3-0 halftime lead.

"Believe or not, I'm disappointed by how we played in certain respects,” said FC Edmonton manager Colin Miller during intermission, exhibiting either utter delusion or an exquisite example of televised trolling.

The scoreline would have been even more lopsided but for the efforts of Fitzgerald, who made numerous diving saves of seemingly sure Montons scores. Fitzgerald was officially credited with four saves, although the true number appeared much higher.

This is the first time the RailHawks have failed to score a goal in consecutive games since July 2014. Carolina’s offensive scoreless streak has now reached 253 minutes.

Moreover, after not allowing more than two goals in a game through 16 NASL matches this year, the RailHawks have now accomplished this ignominious feat twice in five days.

Coincidentally, this is also Carolina’s second game since the departure of fullback Wes Knight, who retired from his playing career to take a youth academy manager job in Charlotte. Blake Wagner played right back at Jacksonville, but an injury to Kupono Low shifted Wagner to left back at Edmonton. Meanwhile, midfielder Chris Nurse was slotted at an unnatural right back position, unsuccessfully pitting him against the quicksilver Laing.

The RailHawks (5-7-6, 22 pts.) slide into a three-team tie for sixth place in the combined NASL standings. Carolina returns to WakeMed Soccer Park next Saturday, August 22 to host the New York Cosmos, the first of two straight matches against the league-leading Cosmos.

BOX SCORE

LINEUPS

CAR: Fitzgerald, Wagner, Danso, Tobin, Nurse, Shipalane, Hlavaty, Thompson (Catic, 18’), da Luz, Albadawi, Novo (Bracalello, 70’)

FCE: VanOekel, Edward, Watson, Moses, Smith (Zebie, 79’), Laing (Nyassi, 74’), Fordyce, de Freitas, Jones, Corea, Ameobi (Jonke, 83’)

GOALS

CAR: --

FCE: Ameobi, 12’ (Corea); Laing, 27’ (Moses); Corea, 36’ (Fordyce)

CAUTIONS

CAR: Nurse (33’); Albadawi (70’)

FCE: Moses (59’)

EJECTIONS

CAR: --

FCE: --

ATTENDANCE: 2,022