— The Carolina RailHawks and FC Edmonton have played each other 21 times since Edmonton entered the NASL in 2011. The home side has lost only twice over that six-year series—Edmonton in 2011 and the RailHawks in 2014. Two trips to Alberta this year yielded two 1-0 losses for Carolina. Saturday night, the RailHawks returned the favor, handing the Eddies their own 1-0 defeat.

Carolina has lost only once at WakeMed Soccer Park in 2016; Edmonton, despite their third-place position in the NASL table, has only won three of their 12 road games this year.

In the 34th minute, the RailHawks did something they hadn’t done in their previous 356 minutes: scored a goal. A looping cross by Matt Fondy found Omar Bravo positioned far post. Bravo chested the ball down to a waiting Austin da Luz, who used his oft-underutilized right boot to punch past Eddies goalkeeper Matt VanOekel for the 1-0 lead.

“It was a great ball to the back post, and I just tried to fill in,” da Luz said. “Omar took a great touch, he might be a little mad at me for stealing that one off of him. It fell to me, and I just tried to put it on frame. I should probably go get that ball, because VanOekel doesn’t give up too many.”

The RailHawks’ goal tonight is only the 16th the stout Eddies defense has surrendered in 26 games.

“I thought the first half was as good as we’ve played in a long, long time,” said RailHawks manager Colin Clarke. “[Edmonton] was chasing shadows at times, to be honest.”

“In the first half we were awful, absolutely awful,” said FC Edmonton manager Colin Miller. “In possession we were awful, defensively we were awful. In the second half we made a change, [Shome] came on and gave us some life, and with some better luck we could have scored some goals. Overall, I can’t take anything away from the RailHawks, they played very well."

Indeed, Carolina’s advantage remained through full time, thanks to some timely defensive substitutions and a spry Carolina squad savoring the spacious WakeMed Soccer Stadium pitch.

“This is a very difficult venue to play,” Miller said. “[The RailHawks] don’t travel particularly well, but they are very, very good at home.”

Miller acknowledged Carolina’s particular advantages in Cary.

“The size of the pitch, the quality of the movement,” Miller said. “Obviously, [the RailHawks] are used to grass; we play on a plastic surface. Some of our players looked like they were running in quicksand tonight. So there’s is a difference. And we’ve come from 5 degrees Celsius to this type of heat.”

Despite their top three position atop the NASL standings, FC Edmonton has now gone winless in six straight matches and extended their own scoreless skid to 388 minutes. Although still the most scored-upon defense in the league, the RailHawks have allowed only two goals in their last five matches.

Carolina inches up to sixth position in the NASL’s overall table, three points behind Minnesota United and two points shy of the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The RailHawks could tie the Loons Wednesday with a win over the New York Cosmos at WakeMed Soccer Park. Carolina will be without right back Steven Miller, who was sent off after earning two yellow cards tonight.

Clarke called the Cosmos’ match “massive,” while da Luz branded it “huge.” New York is undefeated at home this year, including two wins over the RailHawks; like Edmonton, the Cosmos have won only three of 12 on the road.

“It’s always a fun game against the Cosmos—they like to play, as well, It’s been some high scoring games against them with a lot of action.”

With only only seven games left in the regular season, the RailHawks somehow find themselves in the mix for the fourth and final postseason berth.

“It’s going to be a dogfight from now til the end,” Clarke said. “There are four or five teams right there searching for that final spot. Makes for exciting times.”

BOX SCORE

LINEUPS

CAR: Sylvestre, Miller, Daly, Tobin, Moses, Shipalane (Shriver, 88’), Albadawi, Watson, da Luz (Marcelin 66’), Fondy, Bravo (Schuler, 73’)

FCE: VanOekel, Eckersley, Watson, Smith, Nicklaw, Ledgerwood, Raudales (Shome, 46’), Nyassi (Corea, 56’), Fordyce (Keegan, 77’), Fisk, Ameobi

GOALS

CAR: da Luz, 34’ (Bravo)

FCE: ---

CAUTIONS

CAR: Miller, 53’

FCE: Ledgerwood, 24’; Watson, 49’

EJECTIONS

CAR: Miller, 90’

FCE: ---

ATTENDANCE: 4,746