Cavalry FC have gotten back to winning ways, as they defeated the Halifax Wanderers 2-0 at ATCO Field on Saturday.
After having lost for the first time all season in their most recent match, a fiercely contested top-of-the-table clash against Forge, Cavalry did well to put that behind them in a big way against the Wanderers.
It took a while for them to get going in this game, but once they caught steam in the second half, they were hard to stop, using goals from Goteh Ntignee and Daan Klomp to help them to victory.
The Wanderers, meanwhile, continued an up-and-down start to the Vanni Sartini era, as they were unable to follow up a dramatic home victory against Vancouver with another positive result, leaving them without back-to-back wins this season.
To start this game, Cavalry made two changes to their lineup from the team that faced Forge, as Bradley Kamdem and Caniggia Elva slotted in for Levi Laing and Jay Herdman. The Wanderers, meanwhile, also made two changes to the team that beat Vancouver, as Miguel Arilla and Jason Bahamboula came in for Victor Akinwale and Ryan Telfer.
Harry Paton almost opened the game with an exclamation point for Cavalry, as he fired a dangerous shot from distance after finding a bit of space in the first two minutes of the game, but his attempt sailed just wide of the goal.
Continuing their strong start, Cavalry had another good chance in the 12th minute, as Ntignee found himself behind the Wanderers' backline, but instead of taking a shot, he opted to pass, allowing the defenders to get back and recover.
At the other end, the Wanderers had their first big chance of the game in the 18th minute, but they were unable to capitalize on it. After a bursting run from Marcus Godinho, he managed to find Isaiah Johnston with a probing through ball, but despite finding himself alone with Cavalry goalkeeper Nathan Ingham, Johnston would be unable to slide the ball past him into the back of the net.
After a quiet sequence, Cavalry came alive in the 33rd minute. There, they started to put the Wanderers' box under siege following a couple of set-pieces, but despite having a few good looks at goal, none of their shot attempts would reach the target, with a pair of blocked shots from Tobias Warschewski sitting as Cavalry's best opportunities.
From there, however, the game would reach halftime without any further action, leaving both teams to use the break to try and find the offensive thrust needed to break this game open.
On the other side of the break, the Wanderers had an excellent chance in the 57th minute, as Johnston found Jason Bahamboula with a nice low cross after some good dribbling, but despite having an open net to shoot at, Bahamboula was unable to make contact with the ball, which surprisingly slipped through his legs.
Cavalry, meanwhile, had a couple of half-chances to begin the half, but none of their attempts, which all came from outside of the box, came close to threatening the Wanderers' goal.
Eventually, though, Cavalry's wave of shots yielded a positive outcome. After the ball fell to Ntignee at the end of his box following a corner, he decided to put his foot through the ball, and that decision paid off, as he fired a rocket that would sail into the top corner to give Cavalry the lead.
They then almost doubled their lead moments later, as Adam Pearlman found an open Caniggia Elva in the box with an excellent cross, but Elva glanced his header just wide of the goal from close range.
Moments later, Elva had another glorious chance in the 75th minute, as Ntignee found him with a nice low cross into the box, but Elva poked his shot just inches wide of the post.
In the end, however, Cavalry's pressure would pay off. After a mazy run into the box from Pearlman, he cut the ball back from the byline, finding a wide-open Klomp for a tap-in.
They wouldn't be done there, either. After another dangerous counter-attack, the ball fell to Warschewski in the box, but he fired his shot right into the hands of his former teammate, Marco Carducci, who was having a less-than-ideal homecoming against his old club.
Carducci at least got to avenge the earlier goals in the 3rd minute of stoppage time, as Sergio Camargo had a dangerous shot inside the box after yet another cutback from Pearlman, one that Carducci did well to get in front of and save.
In the end, though, Cavalry would be unable to find that third goal, but they'd manage to keep their net from getting breached, allowing them to cruise to victory, one that provisionally pushes them back atop the CPL table - the Wanderers, meanwhile, remain in sixth in the standings.
Box Score
Starting XIs
Cavalry FC: Ingham; Pearlman, Klomp, Didić, Kamdem; Camargo, Paton (Herdman 66'), Kobza (Baldisimo 46'), Ntignee (Edwards 83'); Warschewski (Antoniuk 88'), Elva (Myroniuk 83')
Halifax Wanderers FC: Carducci; Alphonse, Linder, Sow, Godinho; Callegari, Zitman; Arilla (Olguin 83'), Johnston, Baï (Troisi 54') Bahamboula (Akinwale 73')
Goals
*68' -- Goteh Ntignee (Cavalry FC)
*
79' -- Daan Klomp (Cavalry FC)
Discipline
30' — Yellow: Eryk Kobza (Cavalry FC)
39' — Yellow: Adam Pearlman (Cavalry FC)
55' — Yellow: Harry Paton (Cavalry FC)
76' — Yellow: Lorenzo Callegari (Halifax Wanderers FC)
84' — Yellow: Marcus Godinho (Halifax Wanderers FC)
CPLSoccer.com Player of the Match
Daan Klomp, Cavalry FC
Klomp had the dream game for a centre back, as he scored, assisted, and helped his side keep a clean sheet.
He was busy on the ball, completing 90 out of 94 passes (96%), including 24 passes into the final third and five out of seven long balls, but he also did what he needed to defensively, making four clearances, two interceptions and four recoveries, putting together a complete performance in all aspects of the game.
What's Next?
Both teams will have one more game before the World Cup break, as Cavalry will head to Ontario to take on Inter Toronto at York Lions Stadium on Wednesday, June 10th (5:30 p.m. CT/7:30 p.m. ET) - the Wanderers, meanwhile, will also play in Ontario on that same day, as they'll travel to Hamilton to take on Forge at Hamilton Stadium a half an hour earlier (7:00 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. AT).