RailHawks drop squeaker to Impact, 1-0

MONTREAL -- The Carolina RailHawks suffered their second straight defeat Sunday afternoon, falling 1-0 to the Montreal Impact at Saputo Stadium.

As has become the norm between the RailHawks (17-6-3) and Impact (7-8-11), Sunday's match was not without contention and controversy.

The match pitting the NASL regular-season champion RailHawks against a hungry Impact squad still in a fight to qualify for the postseason resulted in 39 fouls and six yellow cards.

When the game's only goal was scored, it was anything but clear-cut.

In the 40th minute, Montreal's Luke Kreamalmeyer, just off the touchline in the right corner, played a long ball toward the RailHawks goal. Carolina goalkeeper Brad Knighton, who was brilliant in net all afternoon, caught the ball at the goal mouth, appearing to have kept it from crossing the line. Play continued for several more seconds until the referee and linesman conferred. They ruled the ball had crossed the plane, and a goal was awarded.

"We have to perform better and find a way to overcome bad decisions," said RailHawks coach Martin Rennie. "Away from home, in a big game like that, a decision like that affected us, and in the end, it cost us. But we've got lots of room for improvement. We'll start the playoff push now, and we're really looking forward to that."

While the RailHawks were shut out for a second straight match and took just four shots, they held firm defensively and did enough to at least earn a draw. Knighton matched the club record for saves in a game - 11 - the second time this season he's done so, and it was his fifth match this year with seven saves or more.

With the regular-season championship and No. 1 seed in the playoffs already sewn up, the RailHawks will use their final two matches to prepare for the postseason. They play their final road match of the regular season Saturday in Puerto Rico, and they'll return to WakeMed Soccer Park to close out the regular season Sept. 24 against Minnesota.