HIGHLIGHTS: Forge FC vs. Atlético Ottawa (August 10, 2024) | Presented by tonybet

Forge FC confidently triumphed over league leaders Atlético Ottawa on Saturday night at Tim Hortons Field, as a Tristan Borges brace helped pave the way for a 3-0 win to put the Hamilton club just one point back of first place.

Despite entering this game after a loss in Winnipeg the week prior, Forge made no changes to their starting XI — although assistant coach Kyt Selaidopoulos took charge in the technical area with Bobby Smyrniotis serving a suspension. Ottawa, meanwhile, made a handful of changes to the side that lost last weekend, as Kris Twardek, Manny Aparicio and Alberto Zapater returned to the starting lineup.

There was plenty of quality in the opening stages between two strong teams, and Forge nearly opened the scoring in just the eighth minute; Daniel Parra curled a great cross into the box in transition and found Borges, whose shot nicked off the post and away.

After a few more phases back and forth, it was Borges again stepping up for the hosts, and this time he would not be denied, as Nana Ampomah’s powerful shot was parried into Borges’ path on the right wing, where he blasted it with his unfavoured right foot into the top corner and made it 1-0.

On the other side of the first half, a few minutes before the interval, Borges went on to double the Hamiltonians’ lead. Kyle Bekker found Ampomah with a well-threaded forward pass through the left side, and Ampomah’s shot was blocked by an Atleti defender. The deflection again came to Borges, who sent it low and to his left, finding a deflection on the way into the goal. Borges’ second of the match was his 32nd in a Forge shirt (in all competitions), making him the club’s joint all-time leading goalscorer alongside Woobens Pacius.

The latter 45 minutes passed quickly, with Ottawa still struggling to break down the home side despite an advantage in possession. They drew one excellent reflex save from Chris Kalongo as a header from a scramble nearly beat him at the low corner, but still Atleti couldn’t find the space they wanted.

A few more Ottawa chances brought them agonizingly close to getting on the board — one that skimmed just over the bar being their best — but still it wasn’t their day.

Indeed, it was Forge who would take advantage of Ottawa getting caught with too many forward. Alessandro Hojabrpour cleared it well up the field to where Elimane Cissé, just inside the Atleti half, had kept himself onside. He drove toward the net and, before Rayane Yesli could come out far enough to challenge him, Cissé feathered a perfect shot over the goalkeeper’s head into the corner to secure the home win.

Holding on for the 3-0 win, Forge moved within one point of Ottawa for first place, occupying second place at the end of the night before Sunday’s matches. Atlético, meanwhile, will look to right the ship next weekend after suffering their third consecutive loss.

BOX SCORE

Lineups 

Forge FC: Kalongo; Duncan, Achinioti-Jönsson, Metusala, Parra; Hojabrpour, Bekker (Jensen 81′); Choinière (Badibanga 78′), Borges (Cissé 78′), Ampomah (Owolabi-Belewu 78′); Poku (Hamilton 90′)

Atlético Ottawa: Yesli; Twardek (Salter 75′), Didic, Walker, De Brienne; Zapater (Morer 60′); Sissoko, Aparicio, Bassett (Antinoro 75′), Tabla (Iliadis 60′); Del Campo

Goals

21′ — Tristan Borges (Forge FC)
39′ — Tristan Borges (Forge FC)
86′ — Elimane Cissé (Forge FC)

Discipline

42′ — Yellow: Matteo de Brienne (Atlético Ottawa)
72′ — Yellow: Kyle Bekker (Forge FC)
90+1′ — Yellow: Chris Kalongo (Forge FC)