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The shutout also extended the Fury’s run without a goal to 186 minutes, going back to the 84th minute of the a 2-0 win over lowly Richmond Aug. 15 as the Fury come home to TD Place for a Saturday night match with Penn FC.

“I think when you behave like this, when your attitude is to the final whistle like we were today then I think we have to have hope that we can achieve the playoffs,” Popovic said post-game. “We knew since the beginning of the season that it was going to be very, very tight. There are six, seven and if you push tight even eight teams that are looking for four places so it’s going to be a tough run until the last week.

“I think it was a very even match, two small details dictated the first half. Two small details that Bethlehem was able to do well and score two goals. After that, it was a very even game with chances on both sides.

“I think if it was possible to score a goal, I think we would have been able to come back. (It) wasn’t possible, however I’m proud of my players because they fought until the end.”

Fury captain Carl Haworth said coming into the road contest that the playoff season had unofficially started for his club and that every game was a must-win.

Well almost 1,200 kilometres away from home, the Fury sure didn’t show any of that kind of urgency, particularly in the opening 45 minutes where Bethlehem put the game away, then coasted on a rain-drenched pitch in the second half.

Moar put Bethlehem on the board in the 16th-minute by streaking to open space and then chipping a pass over Fury ’keeper Max Crepeau, who committed early to trying to intercept the pass.