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EDMONTON, Alberta  (Sept. 12, 2012) - FC Edmonton and Carolina played to a 2-2 draw Wednesday night in Edmonton. Michael Porter scored both goals for Edmonton while Nick Zimmerman struck twice for the RailHawks.

The game didn’t mean much in the standings for FC Edmonton who have been eliminated from playoff consideration, but the home team played with a purpose in front of 1,251 fans.

The game didn’t start well for the Eddies. In the fifth minute, Lance Parker made a mistake with the ball and handed it to the RailHawks’ Ty Shipalane who danced around Jonathan Joseph-Augustin and passed it across to  Zimmerman who slotted it easily passed the Eddies’ ‘keeper.

It could have gone badly from there on for FC Edmonton but  Porter had other ideas. Michael Cox broke down the right wing and sent a menacing cross into the box. Porter stretched for the ball and connected perfectly to beat Akira Fitzgerald for the striker’s fourth of the season.

Both teams continued to keep the offensive pressure on in a back-and-forth first 45 minutes but neither team could find the go ahead goal.

They went to the locker room tied 1-1.

The Eddies came out hot in the second half and it was Porter once again who scored the goal.

The striker started the play by stealing the ball from a RailHawks defender. The ball got to Shaun Saiko who sent a nice pass through to Porter who had continued his run. Porter waited out three defenders and put the ball passed Fitzgerald for his second of the game, his fifth of the season.

Much like the first half, but opposite, the RailHawks didn’t take long to answer Porter’s goal.

Zimmerman came barrelling down the middle of the pitch and had his first shot blocked. The rebound came right back to him and he ripped a shot passed Parker for his second of the game.

Coach Harry Sinkgraven started making changes in the second half bringing Chris Kooy on for Adam West, Sérisay Barthélémy on for Cox and Elvir Gigolaj on for Saiko.

The changes didn’t result in a goal and both teams settled for the 2-2 draw.