CARY, N.C. – Entering Thursday’s match with Portland,
Carolina RailHawks coach Martin Rennie knew scoring chances would be at a
premium, thus magnifying the importance of the few that would present
themselves.
By night’s end, the RailHawks tied a season low with six
shots – three of which were legitimate chances – but none found their mark, and
Carolina played the Timbers to a 0-0 draw before 1,473 on Field 2 at WakeMed
Soccer Park.
“It’s two of the best teams in the league, so it’s not going
to be a wide open game with lots of chances,” Rennie said. “In a game with two
of the top teams, three clear chances is as much as you’re going to get.”
With the scoreless draw, the RailHawks extended their
unbeaten streak to five games (4-0-1), while Portland ran theirs to nine
(5-0-4). The teams remain four points apart in the USL-1 table. Carolina
(7-2-2) sits in second place at 23, while Portland (5-1-4) is third at 19.
Carolina goalkeeper Caleb Patterson made two saves to earn
his fifth shutout in six starts. It was also the RailHawks’ fifth straight
shutout and eighth of the season. They have not conceded a goal in league play
in a club record 486 minutes.
Patterson was called upon in the 21st minute to
keep the match scoreless. Johan Claesson took a shot from 20 yards out that
forced Patterson to go down to his left. He was able to push it wide.
The RailHawks got their only chance of the first half off a
33rd-minute free kick. Kupono Low served a ball into the box.
Sallieu Bundu tracked it down, and on a bounce, he turned and ripped a
half-volley that Portland goalkeeper Steve Cronin (two saves) punched away.
After a sluggish first half, the RailHawks came out on the
attack to start the second, but they were dealt a blow in the 50th
minute when forward John Cunliffe was sent off for a hard challenge on Portland
defender Mamadou Danso.
“Going a man down, mentally, you have to think, ‘Now we have
to step up another level,’” Patterson said. “We knew from that moment on we had
to be strong at the back.”
Carolina remained strong at the back and continued to go on
the attack. The RailHawks had another chance in the 57th-minute. On
a counterattack, Brian Plotkin played a ball in from the right flank. Cronin
came off his line and Bundu charged the ball with a defender on his hip. But no
one was able to put a touch on the ball and the match remained scoreless.
In the 71st minute, Low struck a 40-yard blast
over the Timbers’ four-man wall, only to see it crash off the crossbar.
“Last second it dipped down. I thought it might bounce down
and high for a rebound, but you know,” Low said. “I tried to get it on frame
and see what would happen.”
Eight minutes later, Daniel Paladini sent a free kick into
the box that landed at the edge of the six-yard box. The ball hopped off the
turf and appeared to catch Cronin off guard, but it skipped over the frame.
The RailHawks wrapped up the season series with Portland
Thursday, losing once and tying twice in 2009. The Timbers remain the only team
to have shut out the RailHawks all season.
“I was hoping we could get a goal,” Rennie said. “We had the
chances but we didn’t take them. You’re not going to get 10 chances, but if you
get one, you have to take it.””
LINEUPS
POR: GK
Steve Cronin, D David Hayes, D Cameron Knowles, D Scot Thompson, D Mamadou
Danso (Stephen Keel, 80th), MF Brian Farber (Jason McLaughlin, 78th),
MF Johan Claesson (Tom Potltl, 88th), MF Alex Nimo (George Josten,
69th), MF Keith Savage, MF Taka Suzuki, F Mandjou Keita
CAR: GK Caleb
Patterson, D Jeremy Tolleson, D Devon McKenney, D Mark Schulte, D John
Gilkerson, MF Kupono Low (Josh Gardner, 84th), MF Luke Kreamalmeyer
(Joseph Kabwe, 79th), MF Brian Plotkin (Daniel Paladini, 68th),
MF Amir Lowery, F Sallieu Bundu (Gavin Glinton, 89th), F John
Cunliffe
