Despite an early lead, Tobacco Road FC fell to North Carolina FC’s U23 side on Wednesday as the club’s longest-ever losing streak continues to grow. A strong start to the season is now a distant memory, as the 3–5–0 club from Durham will hope to rebound against the Charlotte Eagles next week.

While the Toros are struggling, the Baby Dead Whales of NCFC (5–2–3) are on the opposite swing, looking for more positive momentum after a 3–1 victory in Durham. With this win, and having played an extra game compared to the second place Mutiny, NCFC leapfrogged Myrtle Beach into first place on the South Atlantic Division table.

Tobacco Road FC has now tied their 2017 total losses with five and still have six more matches left in the season. Lots of big questions surround the club who, at the beginning of the season, looked poised to make a run for the playoffs in just their second year in the PDL.

First Half

If you were a Durham fan and only watched the first half of the match, you should’ve stopped there. Tobacco Road played well and controlled the possession and pace of the game. Los Toros didn’t allow NCFC to take many shots and created plenty of chances of their own. Taff Wadda scored the first half’s lone goal, and the team had several other solid chances that they were not able to finish on, a consistent problem that again would end up costing them at the final whistle.

After seeing NCFC transform their season after a rough start, this was still one of their worst halves of play this month. They did not attack quick off the counters like they try to do, and they did not pass very well either.

But the good news for NCFC was just around the corner.

Second Half

At the beginning of the second half, Tobacco Road already looked gassed. There were times when both teams looked like they wanted to score, but only one team could capitalize. NCFC made a triple substitution for their U23’s around the 55th minute, and that is when things started to fall apart for a tired TRFC.

The midfield started to slip away as if NCFC snapped their fingers like Thanos. The last 20 minutes of the game was all NCFC: Tressor Mbuya and Jelani Pieters came up big for the Blue and Red with counters in the second half.

Game. Set. Match.

Player of the Match

Tressor Mbuyu

Mbuya now has three goals on the season and has stepped up as of late for the U23’s. He has recorded either a goal or an assist in his last three matches and has been a key force in the U23’s rise to the top of the table.

Up next

Tobacco Road takes a week off before traveling to Charlotte to take on the Eagles at Charlotte Christian next Wednesday.

North Carolina FC stays home in Cary to host the Myrtle Beach Mutiny on Saturday in a battle that may decide the South Atlantic Division in 2018.

Box score

Tobacco Road FC: 1

North Carolina FC U23: 3

Goals

Tobacco Road FC: Taff Wadda 25'

North Carolina FC U23: Tressor Mbuyu 69'; Jelani Pieters 83'; Tressor Mbuyu 90'.