HIGHLIGHTS: Cavalry FC vs. HFX Wanderers FC (July 14, 2022)

Cavalry FC added an eleventh straight match to their club-record unbeaten streak and matched their best result of the season in a 3-0 win over 10-man Halifax Wanderers at Spruce Meadows.

Ali Musse scored a pair of goals, while Sergio Camara added his second of the season, as Cavalry scored three goals in eight second-half minutes.

Halifax came incredibly close to opening the scoring eight minutes into the match. Their leading goalscorer, Sam Salter, broke through on goal but put his effort just wide.

Halifax had most of the ball in the early part of the game, possessing it well on the road against the league’s top team. The Cavalry press, however, provided issues and turnovers on a few occasions but the hosts were unable to turn that into any truly dangerous opportunities.

Making his first CPL start, Spanish fullback Roberto Alarcón looked lively in the early going. He made several good passes into the final third, and had Cavalry’s first shot of the match, but his effort from long-range went high and wide.

Salter looked to be through again in the 21st minute, but Salter was ruled offside. Cavalry then quickly moved the ball up field and had a bit of a penalty shout as Musse looked to be brought down in the box, but their claim was quickly waved away.

Minutes later tensions grew even hotter on a warm Cavalry night. Alarcón was given a yellow card for a tackle, and then both sides came together in a scrum, resulting in multiple players from both teams on the ground. In the resulting melee, Halifax’s Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé was sent off.

With the man advantage, Cavalry controlled the latter part of the half, getting several opportunities, especially on multiple corner kicks. Escalante also had free kick attempt late in the half, but after scoring in back-to-back games from direct free kicks, this effort hit the Halifax wall.

That would be the final major chance of the opening half as the hosts went into the half-time break a man up, but with the score all even at 0-0.

To start the second half, Cavalry manager Tommy Wheeldon Jr. made an interesting double substitution to try to take advantage of extra space afforded to them in midfield with Gagnon-Laparé sent off. Ben Fisk and Elijah Adekugbe were brought into the match to replace Elliot Simmons and Joe Di Chiara.

Halifax finally found their breakthrough ten minutes into the second half. Aidan Daniels was dispossessed by Karifa Yao, who made an excellent pass forward through to the middle to Musse. The Cavalry striker kept his composure and calmly slotted the ball past Kieran Baskett to make it 1-0.

Four minutes later, Musse doubled the lead and Halifax’s misery. His initial headed attempt, on a great ball from Alarcón, was saved by Baskett. But Musse was first to the rebound and made no mistake on that second attempt.

Then it was Camargo who got in on the scoring action. The opposite fullback, Bradley Vliet, put in a brilliant ball that Camargo was able to redirect past Baskett to make it 3-0 for Cavalry.

Looking to stop the bleeding, Halifax head coach Stephen Hart made a four-man substitution in 67th minute, bringing on Ryan Robinson, Obeng Tabi, Pierre Lamothe and Mateo Restrepo.

Unfortunately for the visitors, it did little to change the momentum of the match as Cavalry continued to have the better of the chance. Musse came close to adding a hattrick goal in the 77th minute, but his long-range effort was saved well by Baskett.

This was the third time this year that Halifax has allowed three or more goals in a match. Perhaps more concerning, it is also now the fourth time in five matches that they have been shut out.

BOX SCORE

Goals

52′ – Ali Musse (Cavalry FC)

56′ – Ali Musse (Cavalry FC) 

59′ – Sergio Camargo (Cavalry FC)

Discipline

24′ – Yellow: Roberto Alarcón (Cavalry FC)

27′ –  Yellow: Joe Di Chiara (Cavalry FC)

27′ — Red: Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé (HFX Wanderers)