FC Edmonton remained the lone team without a point at The Island Games, after dropping a 2-0 decision to Cavalry FC on Thursday in PEI.

As fans back home in Edmonton were fuming over two controversial refereeing decisions, coach Jeff Paulus offered an honest take on his side’s second loss of the CPL season.

“The referees didn’t cost FC Edmonton tonight, our lack of scoring did,” Paulus soberly offered. “We just didn’t do enough”

FCE failed to record a shot on target and are the only CPL side yet to score in PEI, as long as you don’t count Kareem Moses’ own goal against Forge FC earlier this week.

On Thursday, the Eddies were undone in the 44th minute when Cavalry’s Jordan Brown finished off a pinball-style passing sequence past ‘keeper Connor James.

Things went from bad-to-worse for Paulus in the 49th minute when Terique Mohammed was sent off following a high tackle on Cavs starlet Mohammed Farsi.

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“He’s a young player full of promise, full of energy, he gets in the moment… he plays on that line and you like that as a coach – you don’t want to pull that out of a player,” Paulus said. “He goes in full-blooded and, if you’re a bit late in a tackle, that can happen to you.”

Bright spots were few-and-far-between after Mohammed’s sending off – a highlight reel desperation kick stop by James chief among them – and before a piece of irony in the dying moments. Brown drew a penalty following minimal contact, adding another controversial call to the list of Paulus’ gripes.

FCE ended with just 29 per cent possession, the lowest share of the ball from any team at The Island Games thus far.

“For 43 minutes, we had that great organization,” Paulus said. “As far as our defending went, the first half went exactly according to plan, we just couldn’t do what we wanted going forward.”

When asked about the touchline temperature over the contentious calls on Thursday, Paulus alleged his counterpart Tommy Wheeldon Jr. was coaxing officials into making decisions in Cavalry’s favour.

“They contest calls. It’s a tactic… They like to comment on goals… and maybe things worked out on them,” Paulus said. “Maybe that’s why Tommy is a top man in the CPL at the moment.

“When games are this tight, any advantage is a good one. As a coach, I have no issues with it. If it works, maybe I need to be more vocal.”

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Paulus also offered an update on inured defender Amer Didic, who did not play Thursday, saying he’s “day-to-day, maybe week-to-week” at this stage.

“We’ll get him at this event, that’s what I’ve been told,” Paulus said.

The Eddies played Thursday’s match in support of Chris Kooy, the club’s first captain dating back to its NASL days, and who is fighting Stage IV cancer back in Edmonton. Donations are actively being accepted for the 38-year-old, who played 51 games for the Eddies in their first two seasons.

Paulus left the coach’s seat open for the match, draping a Kooy kit over its back, while captain Tomi Ameobi held the shirt aloft for the opening photos.

Up next for the Eddies is Atlético Ottawa on Sunday. Mista’s team is in a somewhat similar hole, needing results fast to make up ground in this seven-match first stage.

“We’re facing a team on Sunday that’s in a similar place as us, and feel the same as us,” Paulus said. “There will be two motivated sides.”