HIGHLIGHTS: Pacific FC vs. Forge FC (April 30, 2023)

Forge FC claimed all three points in their first away game of 2023 on Sunday night, as they defeated Pacific FC 1-0 at Starlight Stadium thanks to Woobens Pacius’ early marker.

The good news right off the bat for Forge was the hotly-anticipated return of captain Kyle Bekker, who slotted into midfield after missing the first few matches of the season.

Forge wasted no time getting out of the blocks, immediately pushing forward and creating five shots in the first 10 minutes — including one which Aboubacar Sissoko smashed off the crossbar. In the 17th minute, they were rewarded for the bright start as Ashtone Morgan sent in a cross from the left and Pacius, climbing above Thomas Meilleur-Giguère, headed it down where Pacific keeper Emil Gazdov couldn’t handle the ball and it trickled through his legs into the net.

After conceding, Pacific began to get more of a foothold in the game and managed to finish the first half with five shots, but they never truly found a way to test Triston Henry in the opposite end and thus went into the interval trailing by a goal.

When the Tridents were unable to find an equalizer in the first 15 minutes of the second half, coach James Merriman turned to his bench to bring in Manny Aparicio, still recovering from injury but fit enough to play the final half-hour. The sparkplug Aparicio had an immediate impact, taking a shot of his own and generating several other chances in his first few moments of action.

On the verge of the 90th minute, Aparicio sent Josh Heard goalward on the break with a well-played ball for what could’ve been Pacific’s best chance of the half, but Manjrekar James managed to hold off the Pacific captain extremely well.

A flurry of final chances — including one from Adonijah Reid that required Forge striker Jordan Hamilton to fend off — still wouldn’t convert into goals for the home side, as the visiting Hamiltonians banked their first win of the regular season.

BOX SCORE

Goals

17′ — Woobens Pacius (Forge FC)

Discipline

57′ — Yellow: Woobens Pacius (Forge FC)
68′ — Yellow: Sean Young (Pacific FC)