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“We tried to prepare like it was a normal game. We did video. We did everything. So there was no reason for the first half we played.

“But we showed our character in the second half. In the second half, it looked like we were the only team on the field. So even though things didn’t go well in the first half, our players showed their character. It was fantastic.”

The Fury have little time to celebrate, however, with a trip to Memphis for a Saturday night USL regular-season game and then back home to Birmingham Aug. 2 as they try to climb even higher in the Eastern Conference standings.

And their August calendar just got a little busier with dates against Toronto FC Aug. 7 and a match at BMO Field seven days later.

For 45 minutes at least, the visitors appeared to be the more motivated club fighting to move on after their 3-2 loss to the Fury seven days previous in Halifax.

And their persistence in the opening half finally paid off with goals by Thomas Skublak and Luis Perea in the 31st and 43rd minute to seemingly make a series of it.

But Ottawa got on the board via a free kick from the sideline deep in the Halifax end with captain Carl Haworth sending a perfect kick that Onua Obasi headed into the far corner to bring the Fury back to life in the final minute of the half.

That goal was the game-changer.

Twenty minutes into the second half, with the Fury taking control, Haworth was again the setup man, this time for Christian Francois, who made magic with his feet to find the back of the net and tie things 2-2.