Forge FC continued to soar in Matchweek 5 of the 2026 Canadian Premier League campaign, as they beat the Halifax Wanderers 3-1 on Saturday for a convincing triumph in the Maritimes.
Although the Hamilton side conceded a goal for the first time this season, their attack was as dangerous as it has been all year en route to a well-earned win.
"We came out and did a lot of the good things we want to do as a group," Forge coach Bobby Smyrniotis said of his team's performance.
"[Halifax] is always a bit of a tough place, but an enjoyable place to play, because we know that Halifax is always very energetic here at home, but we also like the environment the supporters create here. All around, tactically, the guys were good."
The visitors wasted no time taking control of the match, kicking off on the front foot. Forge, taking an early possession advantage, sought an opening goal to suck the life out of the crowd.
Their wish came true in short order. In the 24th minute, with their fourth shot of the match, Brian Wright found the net, flicking home a well-placed header on the end of Noah Jensen's inch-perfect cross from the right flank.
After taking the lead, Forge remained comfortable for the rest of the first half. They fended off a handful of Wanderers set-piece chances, but curtailed any potential momentum by slowing down the pace with their possession play.
Forge's dominance continued apace in the early second half, and before they'd been back out for five minutes, the Hammers doubled their lead.
They found the net in similar fashion to the first; this time, Hoce Massunda whipped a cross from the edge of the box for defender Antoine Batisse, who rose above the rest to nod in his first CPL goal.
The Wanderers were able to respond this time, though. Shortly after conceding, they stormed down to the other end and, amid a cycle of play, coach Vanni Sartini spotted a potential foul in the 18-yard box. He initiated an FVS challenge, and the referee awarded a penalty kick for what he adjuged to be a Rezart Rama foul off the ball.
For the third time in three weeks, Isaiah Johnston stepped up to take a penalty for Halifax, and for the third time in a row, he scored it.
The home team's foothold didn't last long, however. Ten minutes after the Halifax penalty, Forge restored their two-goal advantage on the second phase of a corner kick.
Johnston nearly avoided the danger for the Wanderers by picking up the ball in the box, but he had his pocket picked on the way out by Ben Paton, who lifted the ball over the top of Halifax's forward-stepping defence. Massunda, in a perfect onside pocket just behind, brought the ball down and stroked a half-volley off the right goalpost and in to make it 3-1.
Forge remained in control for the final 20 minutes of the game, turning away a couple more Wanderers set-pieces and probing for an extra goal, but prioritizing possession. They stuck to their defensive structure and repeatedly won the ball back, minimizing any potential threat and seeing out a professional away win.
A few nervy moments did arrive in stoppage time, as the Wanderers sent several waves of attack at Forge's box. From the 80th minute onward, they directed eight shots toward goal, but Forge kept them out of the net, through a combination of timely blocks and confident goalkeeping by Dimitry Bertaud.
Halifax head coach Vanni Sartini shouldered much of the blame postmatch for what he called his side's worst game of the season.
"We didn't approach the game well," Sartini said. "The energy wasn't there, but I think also our tactical plan wasn't followed, or was too hard to apply, I've got to be honest. We need to be completely honest when we look at ourselves in the mirror, and we can easily say that it's on me, this one. I am still green in this league, still green understanding the different teams to play against, and we played [Forge] in a way that was probably the way they wanted us to play."
For Forge, it was an excellent day away from home, with one thing making it even better: they were able to get captain Kyle Bekker back on the pitch as a substitute in the 77th minute. The 35-year-old, who missed the first month of the season while receiving treatment for testicular cancer, returned to a warm ovation from the Wanderers Grounds. Bekker played the final 15-odd minutes, looking back to his usual high level in midfield.
Now, the Hammers are up to 13 points with a 4-1-0 record, meaning they'll retain sole possession of first place after this week.
Forge now return to Hamilton with spirits high, and they'll prepare to take on a Wanderers team out for revenge, because these two sides will square off next Saturday in the TELUS Canadian Championship.
NEWS & NOTES
- Halifax forward Tavio Ciccarelli, 19, made his first professional start.
- Forge FC captain Kyle Bekker made his first appearance of the season, coming off the bench in the 77th minute. Bekker was recently diagnosed with testicular cancer, and thus missed the first few weeks of the 2026 campaign.
BOX SCORE
Lineups
Halifax Wanderers: Carducci; Alphonse, Linder, Sow; Godinho (Akinwale 71'), Johnston, Callegari, Rampersad (Zitman 62'), Troisi (Arilla 62'); Kachwele (Baï 79'), Ciccarelli (Bahamboula 62')
Forge FC: Bertaud; Rama (Bourgeois 89'), Nimick, Batisse, Jevremović; Jensen (Bekker 77'), Aromatario, Paton; Borges (Babouli 61'), Wright (Bruno 89'), Massunda (Krutzen 77')
Goals
24' — Brian Wright (Forge FC)
51' — Antoine Batisse (Forge FC)
58' — Isaiah Johnston (Halifax Wanderers)
68' — Hoce Massunda (Forge FC)
Discipline
30' — Yellow: Marcus Godinho (Halifax Wanderers)
45' — Yellow: Hoce Massunda (Forge FC)
63' — Yellow: Jefferson Alphonse (Halifax Wanderers)
73' — Yellow: Cyprian Kachwele (Halifax Wanderers)
CPLSoccer.com Player of the Match
Hoce Massunda, Forge FC
Massunda was the architect of two of Forge's goals, assisting the second to Batisse and scoring the third himself with an outstanding finish. He finished with seven touches in the box, two chances created, and a 94.1 per cent pass success rate.
What’s next?
Up next is a rematch between these sides, but in the TELUS Canadian Championship. They'll both travel to Hamilton for a knockout clash next Saturday, May 9 (4 p.m. ET).
For broadcast details of the 2026 CPL season, go to cplsoccer.com/watch.