— The Carolina RailHawks’ heady start to their 2016 season continued Saturday evening in St. Petersburg, Florida. Goals to close the first half and open the second were all the RailHawks required to outlast the Tampa Bay Rowdies, with a late goal from Brian Shriver—his first this year—capping a 3-1 victory for the NASL-leading RailHawks.

Carolina has won four straight matches to open their NASL campaign. This is also the first time the RailHawks have won consecutive road matches since August 2014.

A back-and-forth opening half was devoid of goals until its waning moments, when Carolina fullback Paul Black charged portside and delivered a seeing-eye cross that sailed past Rowdies defender Ben Sweat by centimeters before finding a charging Alex Perez, who buried the ball for a 1-0 lead at intermission.

Almost immediately after exiting their locker room for the second stanza, the RailHawks doubled their advantage. Off a short corner in the 47th minute, Nazmi Albadawi delivered a curling cross that found center back James Marcelin encroaching far post. The converted midfielder’s right boot rippled nylon and quieted the Rowdies crowd.

Tampa Bay got a goal back in the 65th minute. A cross in the box by Neill Collins found fellow defender Tamika Mkandawire, whose close-range volley was true and cut Carolina’s lead to 2-1.

With the RailHawks partly reeling due to some defensive injuries, the visitors found an insurance goal after Rowdies fullback Ben Sweat was whistled for a penalty in the 85th minute for taking down Tiyi Shipalane in the box. Former Rowdie Brian Shriver stepped to the spot and planted his PK past Tampa Bay goalkeeper Matt Pickens, exacting a measure of a revenge on his former club and accounting for the final 3-1 margin.

For good measure, 17-year-old amateur and US youth international Nick Taitague made his RailHawks debut, becoming the youngest player to appear in a regulation match in club history.

The RailHawks extend their unblemished, NASL-leading record to 4-0-0 (12 pts.), with a trip to the New York Cosmos looming next weekend. Carolina returns to WakeMed Soccer Park May 7 to host the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

BOX SCORE

LINEUPS

CAR: Fitzgerald, Black (Mensing, 74’), Tobin, Marcelin, Beckie (Moses, 52’), Perez, Watson, Shipalane, Albadawi, da Luz, Shriver (Taitague, 89’)

TBR: Pickens, Sweat, Collins, King, Mkandawire, Avila, Nanchoff, Guerra, Alhassan (Ramirez, 76’), Hristov (Mwanga, 64’), Heinemann



GOALS

CAR: Perez, 45’ (Black); Marcelin, 47’ (Albadawi); Shriver, 86’ (PK)

TBR: Mkandawire, 65’ (Collins)

CAUTIONS

CAR: Beckie, 49’; Perez, 58’

TBR: Guerra, 71’; Sweat, 86’

EJECTIONS

CAR: ---

TBR: ---

ATTENDANCE: 5,948