DC Power FC was back at Audi Field on Friday, clinging to hopes that they could jump start a run to get into the playoff chase against Tampa Bay Sun. However, an 88th minute goal by Cecilie Fløe was the difference as DC Power fell to Tampa Bay by a 1-0 score.

The first half saw DC Power control the tempo as they forced some chances and put pressure on Sun goalkeeper Ashley Orkus. Their best chance came in the 29th minute. Off an injury restart, a brilliant free kick from DC’s defensive half found Anna Bagley flying down the left side. She served in a cross that got to the feet of Gourley, but her shot was blocked by a Sun defender. Despite controlling the game and creating a few opportunities, they weren’t able to capitalize and the game was scoreless at halftime.

“I think the first half we dictated the play, controlled the tempo, [and] were able to hold the ball in their half,” interim coach Phil Nana said after the match. “We were able to move some things around. We were able to get the chances we knew we would get. We just couldn’t finish.”

DC Power started the second half once again trying to create some chances. However, the game became more back-and-forth, with both teams really trying to find the opening for a scoring chance. Despite that, it felt like DC Power was going to break through when disaster struck. In the 88th minute, Tampa Bay’s Vivianne Bessette was able to send a ball over the top to Cecilie Fløe in the box, who chested the ball to corral it and fired a volley near post. DC Power goalkeeper Morgan Aquino got a hand on it, but the ball squibbed off the post and trickled over the line into the net.

DC Power were clearly floored by the goal, and they weren’t able to do much to create an equalizer as the final whistle sounded. After the match, a visibly frustrated Phil Nana summed up the game.

“Yeah, it’s. it’s a frustrating one. Probably one of the most frustrating ones,” Nana said after the match. “To [go] out and [do] everything right tactically, I thought we controlled the game for most of the game. Second half went back and forth, but to give up a goal like that, at such a time in such a manner, I think is poor on our end. There’s no excuses for a type of goal like that to be scored.”

DC Power FC’s playoff hopes are now on thin ice. Stuck on 16 points with a 3W-12L-7D record, they will be officially eliminated with wins on Saturday by either Fort Lauderdale United or Brooklyn FC. Despite the season hanging on a thread, Nana is not deterred from the goal of trying to get into the win column and get 90 minutes of good play.

“[We’re] not going to be determined by by one game, one goal. We still have more games to play. We still have chances to turn things around. The progress is there, but the wins need to start coming, and we need to start taking these small things seriously.”

DC Power FC will travel to face Brooklyn FC next Saturday night hoping that they can get their fist win of the spring.