Atlético Ottawa left it late at ATCO Field, but two goals in the final ten minutes of the match saw the visitors pick up a big 2-0 victory on the road against Cavalry FC.
The visitors had the first scoring opportunity ten minutes in, as Karl Ouimette got his head on the end of a cross into the box from Ollie Bassett. He tried to head it low toward the bottom right corner but didn’t get his angle right, putting it wide of the target.
Cavalry’s best chance of the opening 45 minutes also came from a header, and it too didn’t result in the ball hitting the back of the net. Ali Musse curled a corner kick into the penalty area, which both Joe Mason and Eryk Kobza attacked. Kobza was in the better position to take advantage of it, but perhaps took his eye off the ball when Mason jumped to try and get to it, and he couldn’t hit the target.
In the 39th minute Ottawa had another great opportunity to put the ball into the back of the net, but couldn’t take advantage. Ruben del Campo played a deep cross to the back post on a quick counter-attack up the pitch, but Jean-Aniel couldn’t get his volley on target, sending it wide of the mark across goal.
Despite the sides having three shots each in the first 45 minutes, none of them were on goal, and the first half ended scoreless.
Aboubakary Sacko had a frustrating night at the office, subbed on and off in quick succession after picking up an injury. Brought on in the 61st minute, Sacko went down a couple of minutes later after pulling up with a muscle injury while chasing a pass down the pitch. He went down with no contact, seemingly a hamstring injury, and would be subbed out in the 67th minute — six minutes after coming on.
The first shot on target of the match finally came in the 82nd minute, from Ollie Bassett at the penalty spot. Malcolm Shaw was taken down in the box by Marco Carducci, sending the reigning CPL Player of the Year to the spot for the third match in a row. Just as he did against Pacific FC and against Valour FC, Bassett stepped up and confidently buried his penalty.
Ottawa added a second goal a few minutes later on a quick counter-attack. Three defenders tried to close down Sam Salter, who had intercepted the ball and charged up the pitch, leaving Jean-Aniel Assi alone on the other side of the pitch. Salter was able to find Assi with a lateral pass, and the former Cavs loanee made no mistake, doubling the lead.
Cavalry were unable to respond to the two late goals, and the visitors held on for a big three points on the road. They snap Cavalry’s three-game winning streak, and move within one point of the Halifax Wanderers for the fifth and final playoff spot.
