— When it comes to Carolina RailHawks soccer, the highs are never that high and the lows are never so low. Less than a month after the RailHawks enjoyed a “pivotal,” “best week ever” when a record-setting crowd watched an international friendly against West Ham United and the introduction of Mexican star Omar Bravo, Carolina has spent the last fortnight regressing to the mean.

Saturday, the RailHawks completed a three-game road trip with a 2-2 draw with the lowly Jacksonville Armada. Carolina is now riding a four-match winless stretch, losing two and drawing two over that span.

The RailHawks were again without a bevy of starters. Team captain Nazmi Albadawi, James Marcelin, Conor Tobin and now Simon Mensing were unavailable due to injuries. Matt Watson, who missed the team’s Canadian swing last week, did not start but did sub on in the second half.

Nevertheless, in a match featuring the two worst defenses in the NASL in terms of goals allowed, Carolina found cord first in just the 6th minute. A nifty attack by the RailHawks found Omar Bravo charging up the right channel. Bravo back-heeled a pass over to Drew Beckie, who in turn centered to an unmarked Matt Fondy, the erstwhile Armada forward acquired by Carolina in late June. Fondy calmly converted to give the RailHawks an early 1-0 lead, giving Fondy three goals since joining the RailHawks.

Jacksonville equalized in the 19th minute. Midfielder Lucas Scaglia delivered a benign cross off the right flank that appeared bound for goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald’s waiting mitts. Unfortunately, center back Kareem Moses was among those who presumed that outcome, allowing Armada striker Charles Eloundou to sneak in behind and put a high boot to the ball near post, flicking it over Fitzgerald into the far netting at an acute angle to knot the score 1-1.

Full of vigor, Eloundou struck again in the 50th minute. The forward feigned right, then drove left past an off-balance Mickey Daly. With no other RailHawk bothering to close him down, Eloundou settled and rifled a roofer past Fitzgerald to give the Armada a 2-1 advantage.

An apparent RailHawks goal by Tiyi Shipalane in the 57th minute was waived off when the linesman flagged Carolina for a controversial offside. Video replay showed that a short cross by Shipalane was blocked by a sliding Armada player back to an offside Shipalane, who then nudged the ball over the goal line.

It was Carolina’s turn to equalize in the 68th minute, when a cross off the right wing by Steven Miller found Bravo in the box. Bravo finished his clinical header to tie the game at 2-2, Bravo’s second RailHawks score. But the RailHawks’ good feelings were short-lived, as Austin da Luz, who picked up a yellow card for dissent in the first half over an unscheduled water break, earned his second booking in the 70th minute, reducing Carolina to 10 men for the remainder of the match.

Notstanding their depleted roster, it was a significant lost opportunity for the RailHawks. Jacksonville came into Saturday’s match on a five-match losing skid, having been outscored 12-2 over that span. The Armada had only two wins and 10 losses over 17 matches this year, and had netted only 10 goals before tonight. Midfielder Junior Sandoval, who scored two of Jacksonville’s previous goals, was out due to injury, and speedy striker Alhassan Keita was suspended due a red card suspension.

The RailHawks (4-6-7, 22 pts.), now seventh in the overall NASL standings, gathered just one point over their three-game road trip, fueling their second four-match winless ebb this year. A hopefully healthy Carolina returns to WakeMed Soccer Park next Saturday, Aug. 13 to host NASL expansion side Puerto Rico FC.

BOX SCORE

LINEUPS

CAR: Fitzgerald, Miller, Moses, Daly, Black, Beckie, Shipalane (Ceballos, 84’), da Luz, Shriver (Orlando, 79’), Fondy, Bravo (Watson, 72’)

JAX: Lewis, Ouimette, Ruthven, Navarro, Maripuu, Wallace, Burke (Barrow, 78’), George, Scaglia (Lagerblom, 58’), Anderson, Eloundou

GOALS

CAR: Fondy, 6’ (Beckie)

JAX: Eloundou, 19’ (Scaglia)

CAUTIONS

CAR: da Luz, 33’ and 70’

JAX: George, 25’

EJECTIONS

CAR: da Luz, 70’

JAX: ---

ATTENDANCE: 3,601