RECAP | Cosmos 3, RailHawks 1

The New York Cosmos rallied from a one-goal halftime deficit to score three times in an 11-minute span early in the second half and defeat the Carolina RailHawks, 3-1, at WakeMed Soccer Park on Saturday night. It was the Cosmos’ first ever win in Cary, N.C.

New York stretched its unbeaten streak to six consecutive matches, while Carolina dropped its third match in a row, conceding three goals in each defeat.

The Cosmos equalized within 30 seconds of the second-half kickoff when Leo Fernandes scored his team-leading seventh goal of the season. Hunter Freeman started the sequence with a cross from the right that Andres Flores challenged for. The ball popped to Fernandes, who tapped inside the far post.

In the 54th minute, Fernandes turned provider, playing a cross inside the box where Lucky Mkosana slid in to volley past Carolina goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald from eight yards.

Three minutes later, the Cosmos made it 3-1 when Adam Moffat pounced on a rebound after Fitzgerald came well off his line to save attempts by Walter Restrepo and Flores.

The RailHawks took the lead in the 16th minute when defender Daniel Scott latched onto a Tiyi Shipalane corner kick and headed inside at the far post from eight yards.

The goal came moments after a wild sequence that saw both teams with quality scoring chances. One minute after Jimmy Maurer saved a shot by Shipalane, the Cosmos goalkeeper robbed Nacho Novo on an attempt inside the six-yard box.

The Cosmos quickly moved up the field and Raúl had his attempt from inside the six-yard box kicked away by Fitzgerald.

In the 18th minute, Fitzgerald dived to parry away a 26-yard attempt by Flores for a Cosmos corner. One minute later, Raúl had another point-blank attempt, but again Fitzgerald denied the former Real Madrid star.

Scott attempted to score a second goal in the 64th minute when he again got his head on a RailHawks corner, but the defender bounced his shot directly into Maurer.

In the 72nd minute, Novo turned inside the box and put his shot off the near post from nine yards.