RECAP | RailHawks 2, Silverbacks 0

The Atlanta Silverbacks (6-8-8, 26 points Combined Table) visited the Carolina RailHawks (6-7-8, 25 points) for the team’s first of two meetings in September for a rare Friday fixture at WakeMed Soccer Park. A swift four-minute sequence of successful Carolina attacks gave the RailHawks all they needed for a 2-0 victory — their first in five matches.

“Of course this is disappointing; we came here with a positive mentality and high confidence, but a few injuries to integral components of our defense and a quality first half by Carolina caught us out,” Silverbacks coach Gary Smith said. “Those are things you have to deal with, and I thought we may just turn the tide in the second half but our edge in the final third was blunted.

“We’ll go into a 10-day break before our next match with a focus on building what went well and fixing what didn’t, and we’ll use the time to get some injuries healed.”

Abdul Bangura — starting for just the second time this season, replaced of Paul Black after he suffered a training injury on Thursday — was taken off in just the 10th minute with a injury. His removal brought Josh Hughes in, but complicated the consistency of Atlanta’s backline. Through the first 20 matches of the NASL campaign, Atlanta backliners Simon Mensing, Black and Rauwshan McKenzie were among the league’s leaders in minutes. 

Carolina pressed the newly makeshift Silverbacks defense, launching four shots on goal and scoring twice before halftime.

In the 24th minute, Carolina’s Nazmi Albadawi opened with a wobbling rocket from the top of the 18-yard box after an Atlanta counter attack was severed and swung back onto the visitors. Albadawi ripped the back of the net for his third goal of the season.

The RailHawks doubled their lead four minutes later when Blake Wagner targeted the far post with a right-sided free kick. His delivery found Austen King, who nodded it across the Silverbacks goalmouth and into a Connor Tobin’s feet from point-blank range. The goal was Tobin’s second of the season; it was King’s first assist.

Despite the four-minute Carolina ambush, Silverbacks goalkeeper C.J. Cochran — starting in place of Steward Ceus, who’s away with Haiti on an international call up — made three impact saves in the first half. The most impressive save came in a 1-on-1 with Albadawi in the 12th minute: Cochran rushed out and spread wide to save Albadawi’s close-range strike after Novo’s pinpoint centering of the attack.

The 6-foot-4 rookie rejected Carolina again in the 50th minute when Mark Anderson sliced into the Silverbacks’ box unmarked. Cochran sprung forward to two-hand Anderson’s settling touch out for a harmless corner.

On the attack in the second half, Atlanta created potentially potent moments but failed to finish them. Jaime Chavez eyed the best chance in the 63rd minute on a breakaway to the top of Carolina’s box. Needing just one touch to round goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald, Chavez’s was just heavy enough to be thwarted.

All in all, both sides aired three shots on goal with Carolina (3) taking just one more corner kick than Atlanta (2).