To open their NASL fall season Saturday evening at Minnesota United, the Carolina RailHawks picked up where they left off their spring campaign. An odd move for team riding a six-match winless stretch and only two goals over that same span.

The RailHawks, which closed out the spring three weeks ago with a 4-1 loss at Indy Eleven, was out-everything by the Loons, suffering a 5-1 thrashing before a crowd just shy of 8,000 at the National Sports Center Stadium.

Over the ensuing NASL midseason break, a RailHawks team in desperate need of transfiguration jettisoned one midfielder (Alex Perez) yet made just one addition in the form of former Jacksonville Armada forward Matt Fondy, who didn’t even travel to Minnesota this weekend due to a slight hamstring strain.

So, RailHawks manager Colin Clarke was left to mildly reshuffle his existing complement, shifting Brian Shriver to right wing, Billy Schuler to target striker and Tiyi Shipalane—who spent much of the break tending to a family issue in his native South Africa—to the bench. But the arrangement of deck chairs did little to prevent this result from sinking fast.

A scuffed clearance by RailHawks defender Drew Beckie in the 20th minute fell to Loons’ leading scorer Christian Ramirez, positioned 22 yards from goal. Ramirez took the half volley off the outside of his right foot and delivered a reverse curler around Carolina goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald for the 1-0 lead.

The advantage doubled in the 24th minute. A botched backfield pass from Carolina center back Connor Tobin ended up behind midfielder James Marcelin. Ramirez lept on the loose ball and slotted the gift past Fitzgerald for a 2-0 margin.

Just before the clock struck halftime, Ramirez headed a Minnesota throw-in to an unmarked Stéfano Pinho, who drove past a somnolent RailHawks defense before depositing a shot past Fitzgerald for a 3-0 score at intermission.

Two minutes into the second half, the Loons’ aerial assault got into the act when an unmarked Tiago Calvano nodded in a corner kick from Kevin Venegas for a 4-0 lead. It’s Venegas’ league-leading sixth assist this season.

In the 67th minute, Minnesota defender Jeb Brovsky was sent off after earning his second booking. That didn’t slow the barrage, as a Danny Cruz cross in the 75th was tapped in by a charging yet unimpeded Ramirez to push the onslaught to 5-0 and give Ramirez his NASL-leading eighth goal this season.

Carolina’s lone goal came too little, too late in the 90th minute. Matt Watson took a crack on goal just inside the L that glanced off the mitts of United keeper Sammy Ndjock and across the goal line. However, Ndjock made terrific saves of an Aly Hassan header and Brian Shriver follow-up a minute later to thwart another consolation score.

If you’re keeping tabs at home, that’s now a seven-league match winless skid for the RailHawks with just three goals over those seven games. The RailHawks (4-2-5, 14 pts.) attempt to restore full faith and credit to their home ticket buyers next Saturday, July 9 when they host the Tampa Bay Rowdies at WakeMed Soccer Park. On Tuesday, July 12, Carolina hosts West Ham United in an international friendly.

BOX SCORE

LINEUPS

CAR: Fitzgerald, Black, Tobin (Orlando, 72’), Mensing, Beckie (Moses, 62’), Marcelin, Watson, Shriver, Albadawi, da Luz, Schuler (Hassan, 57’)

MNU: Ndjock, Davis, Kallman, Venegas, Brovsky, Pitchkolan, Cruz, Banks (Vincentini, 70’), Calvano, Pinho (Laing, 76’), Ramirez (Ibson, 81’)

GOALS

CAR: Watson, 90’ (Albadawi)

MNU: Ramirez, 20’; Ramirez, 24’; Pinho, 45 + 1’ (Ramirez); Calvano, 47’ (Venegas); Ramirez, 75’ (Cruz)

CAUTIONS

CAR: Beckie, 26’; Watson, 78’

MNU: Brovsky, 58’ and 67’; Davis, 79’

EJECTIONS

CAR: ---

MNU: Brovsky, 67’

ATTENDANCE: 7,909