FC Edmonton have picked a good time to start playing their best soccer.

On Sunday, Edmonton put together one of their most complete games of the season, beating the Fort Lauderdale Strikers 2-1 in front of 3,011 fans at Clarke Stadium and moving into fourth place in the North American Soccer League Fall Season standings.

Until conceding a late penalty kick, FCE were in full control of the contest, taking the play to the visitors from the onset.

“I give total credit to the players,” said Eddies head coach Colin Miller. “We made it very difficult for ourselves at the end, giving up a late goal, but overall I think it was a very justified three points (for win) and a very hard-earned three points.

“Fort Lauderdale is a difficult side, they have some very good players, some dangerous players on the counter attack. We let the guys know that at halftime. But I’m really positive, I’m over the moon, it’s our second win in a row and we beat the team above us in the standings.”

Ritchie Jones and Lance Laing scored for Edmonton in the win, while Aly Alberto Hassan scored from the penalty spot for the Strikers.

Lance Parker earned his second victory in goal for Edmonton since regaining his starting job last week in Carolina.

“We’re on a good roll right now, the guys are playing well and they’re totally committed,” Miller said. “I’m absolutely delighted with the three points.”

The hosts came out with an attacking mindset in what proved to be a bruising affair against the Strikers.

Laing set up the opening goal, 33 minutes in, beating Strikers defender Darryl Gordon along the left wing and then cutting the ball across the penalty area to Jones in front of the net.

Jones turned the cross past Strikers goalkeeper David Meves to give Edmonton the lead.

“It was great work by Lance Laing again,” said Jones. “Once he gets outside on the left-hand side and knocks it, you just know to get into the box, because he’s going to get a cross in. It bounced in front of me, but I managed to get a clean enough strike and it went into the bottom corner, so I was happy.”

In the second half, Edmonton continued to dictate play in a contest that developed a physical edge. There were a total of 12 cautions handed out, a number of them for dissent, which did not sit well with either side.

Midfielder Neil Hlavaty picked up two yellow cards within six minutes after coming in as a substitute late in the game, leaving FCE to finish the contest a player short.

“If the first yellow card is for yapping, that’s a crime,” said Miller. “I’d much rather a player get a yellow card when somebody is being taken off the pitch, rather than somebody shouting at the referee and complaining about a call.

“That’s a cheap yellow card for us. I’m disappointed from that point of view. We had a couple of yellow cards for dissent and that’s not acceptable. I do think some of the bookings were poor, but it’s two very committed teams and from the fans’ point of view it must have been a very meaty game.”

Midway through the second half, Laing increased Edmonton’s lead, as forward Chad Burt found him in space behind the Fort Lauderdale defence. Laing took the pass and rolled the ball into the corner of the net past Meves.

Fort Lauderdale pulled one back two minutes from the end as defender Eddie Edward tugged at Strikers midfielder Pecka in the penalty area.

Hassan converted the penalty to make for a tense final minutes of the contest.

“It was a great performance,” Jones said. “Last week we put in a good shift away from home and the lads did the same again (Sunday). Everybody just worked really hard and that shows that once you work hard, the results will follow.”