After being stifled by the Portland Timbers in the first half, the RailHawks came out strong in the second, forcing opportunities and getting into an offensive momentum for the first time in the game.

Then striker John Cunliffe was sent off with a red card, only four minutes into the half.

Cunliffe’s spikes-up tackle on Portland defender Mamadou Danso sent the Railhawks down to 10 men -- and sufficiently stifled any more offensive output in the teams’ 0-0 draw.

“That was why it was so disappointing to get a man set off, because we really started really well,” RailHawks coach Martin Rennie said. “Then once you go down to 10 men, it's really hard.”

With almost a full half left to play, the RailHawks’ offense was limited against the Timbers, and they couldn’t capitalize on the few chances they did have.

And they were few.

Midfielder Brian Plotkin rocketed a pass into the center box, but striker Sallieu Bundu missed the ball and it rolled wide and out of bounds. Kupono Low slammed a free kick on goal and hit the upper crossbar of the cage in the 71st minute, and Bundu’s sole first-half chance was blocked cleanly by Portland keep Steve Cronin.

Most of the only solid opportunities for both teams came off spot kicks -- another side effect of the disruptive play that halted the RailHawks.

“Offensively, it seemed like both teams were struggling to find that final pass,” Low said. “But it looked like we did -- both teams relied on their set pieces. The long throws, the free kicks from half field, the corner kicks, which there weren’t many.”

And as Carolina’s offense struggled to find a groove, it kept Caleb Patterson-Sewell busy in goal. Patterson-Sewell finished with only two saves but was constantly on the move to ward off the Timbers’ 10 shots.

As the RailHawks tried to build their offense starting with their defenders, the Timbers caught on. And as Portland sat in their half to block passes and pick up possessions, the Carolina midfielders couldn’t come up with the ball,.

“I just think at the start they were just happy to have us in front of them, which made it easy to break up the passes,” Patterson-Sewell said. “We knew that at halftime, we tried to get in behind, and that's something we worked on.”

But with only one striker on the field, the RailHawks didn’t have enough presence up top to get the score they needed. Carolina ended with a season-low six shots, just more than half of their game average.

“I mean, it's two of the best teams in the league, so it's not going to be a wide open game with lots of chances,” Rennie said. “In a game with two of the top teams, three clear chances is as much as you're going to get.”

Portland is the only team this season to hold Carolina scoreless -- and now they’ve done it three times.

Rennie said he was still hoping for a last-gasp RailHawks score in the final minutes, but by the end of the game, the RailHawks were playing for the 0-0 draw.

“I hate to say it, but that was what we were going for at the end,” Patterson-Sewell said. “But credit to the boys again, another clean sheet, that makes it five, so we're doing good.”

Patterson-Sewell recorded his fifth shutout in six starts, and the RailHawks made it six straight games unbeaten.

“We held them to no goals, so another clean sheet for us, and we got a point,” Low said. “With 10 men, we'll take that.”