The New York Red Bulls II found just enough to pull off their 1-0 road victory against a tough Wilmington Hammerheads FC side on Friday. Dan Metzger’s goal was the difference, and down the stretch it was a matter of maintaining a clean sheet for a fourth consecutive match.

Wilmington did not make it easy.

“USL games tend to be that way,” NYRB II Head Coach John Wolyniec said. “They’re good, competitive games and, when the score line [is] tight, the end of the game is a bit of a free-for-all.

• BIG NEWS: USL Announces Partnership with ESPN

With a fourth straight clean sheet, the Red Bulls II (3-0-2, 11 points) have not conceded a goal in 405 consecutive minutes and improved to 2-0-0 on the road.

“I’m proud of our guys to come out with three points,” Wolyniec said. “We fought and fought, probably was a little too close at times for my liking, but at the end of the day we got three points on the road so I have to be happy about that.”

Bruno Perone’s stoppage-time strike was nullified by a Wilmington foul to NYRB II’s goalkeeper Rafael Diaz. It would be the closest the Hammerheads could get to finding an equalizer, dropping to 2-2-1 on the season.

Head Coach Mark Briggs said that result doesn’t paint the appropriate picture of this team.

“I think people know in and around the league that Wilmington is a different team this year,” Briggs said. “When they come to Legion [Stadium], they’re going to be in for a fight. They’re going to be in for a battle. When they play against the Hammerheads they’re going to be in for a different game, so I was pleased that we showed fight, showed spirit, but unfortunately it was the wrong result tonight.”