RailHawks down Panama 1-0

The RailHawks opened the month of June with a win, and on Tuesday night, they closed the month with one, downing the Panama National Team 1-0 in the team's final warm-up prior to the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

“We did well tonight and it was encouraging,” said Carolina coach Martin Rennie. “Wins make you feel good and they build confidence. Also it was good because it was a different group of guys playing, and some guys really stepped up and made a good claim to be in the team.”

Only three players who started in Saturday’s match against Puerto Rico were in Rennie’s starting 11 against Panama – defenders Mark Schulte and Brad Rusin and midfielder Amir Lowery. But this group defended well and got Carolina’s first shutout since June 11, a span of four matches. Goalkeeper Eric Reed make six saves to earn his first shutout since May 22.

Brian Plotkin provided the game’s only goal in the 58th minute.

Defender Caleb Norkus picked off a pass deep in Panama’s end. He played a ball the ball into Andriy Budnyy, who then played Luke Kreamalmeyer on an overlapping run. Kreamalmeyer ran the ball down and centered it to Budnyy before it could reach the end line. Budnyy took a shot that hit the near post, but it deflected out to Plotkin at the top of the box, and Plotkin knocked it in the goal.

“It was nice,” said Plotkin, who scored for the third time this season. “We’d been battling for about 60 minutes and we thought we’d had the better of the play and deserved a goal. We were able to get one and we were able to kill the game off.”

But that wasn’t the RailHawks’ only chance.

In the 17th minute, Norkus made another penetrating run out of the back and worked a quick give-and-go with Hamed Diallo to create a look at the goal, but Norkus’ shot went over the frame.

In the 39th minute, following a Schulte throw-in, Kreamalmeyer cracked a shot from 20 yards that Panama goalkeeper Oscar McFarlane (five saves) turned away.

Before Plotkin’s goal, Panama nearly got on the board. Nico Munoz ripped a shot from the top of the penalty area, but Reed stopped it. Seconds later, Orlando Rodriguez hit the crossbar.

Panama had one last chance to equalize in the 90th minute, but Victor Piggot’s free kick from the edge of the penalty area skimmed over the goal.

The match served as a final tune-up for Panama, as it will begin play the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Sunday in Oakland, Calif.

The RailHawks, meanwhile, will have one last tune-up on Friday before returning to USL-1 play next week. They will meet the Wilmington Hammerheads at 7 p.m. at WakeMEd Soccer Park. The two teams met in Cary on June 16 in the second round of the U.S. Open Cup. The Hammerheads sprung the upset by defeating the RailHawks in penalty kicks. On Tuesday, they continued their run through the Open Cup with a 1-0 upset over the Chicago Fire.

Tuesday’s win over Panama is precisely what the RailHawks were looking for on the eve of a new month.

“The end of the month is a good thing for us,” Plotkin said. “We can turn the page and start July fresh and get a good match-up and re-implant ourselves in the title race.”