HIGHLIGHTS: York United FC vs. Cavalry FC (May 29, 2022)

Cavalry FC took all three points at York Lions Stadium on Sunday afternoon, as Aribim Pepple came off the bench to score the match-winning goal against York United and send the Cavs into sole possession of second place in the league table.

York boss Martin Nash named an almost unchanged team from the midweek Canadian Championship clash at Pacific, the only difference being Cédric Toussaint coming into midfield and Jordan Wilson dropping to centre-back in place of Roger Thompson. Cavalry, meanwhile, made two changes from the team that played the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday, as Ben Fisk slotted in on the left wing and Elijah Adekugbe slotted into midfield instead of Elliot Simmons.

The first half was a somewhat cagey one, with much of the play coming along the wide areas or in the middle third. Both sides had a couple of dangerous breakthroughs in transition by virtue of the quick pace of the game, but neither goalkeeper was much troubled in the opening 45. Still, as is often the case in battles between these teams, physicality was a major factor in the early going, with 54 total duels in the first half and three yellow cards.

York began to press a little more out of the gates in the second half, and they created the best chance either side had seen yet in the 51st minute as a perfect cross through the penalty area from Lowell Wright found Osaze De Rosario at the back post, but the York striker put his shot over the crossbar. Again, not long before the hour mark, De Rosario put a header just by the right post as the hosts continued to search for the opening goal.

With about half an hour left to play, both managers opted to turn to their bench. York introduced Mateo Hernández in place of Sebastian Gutiérrez on the left wing, while Cavalry made a triple substitution, bringing in Sergio Camargo, Bradley Vliet, and Aribim Pepple.

Soon, Cavalry were rewarded for the changes. Camargo found himself some space to the right of the penalty area, and he drove inward to the box — beating a defender along the way — to cut it back nicely for Pepple, whose first shot was blocked by a York defender but the second effort found the back of the net to make it 1-0.

Things shortly went from bad to worse for the Nine Stripes; as the intensity of the physical battle continued to ramp up, Chrisnovic N’sa got tangled in a messy challenge just inside his own half that prompted referee Ben Hoskins to show him a second yellow card and send him off.

Although York managed to get into the attacking third a few times in the final 10 minutes — particularly in the five minutes of stoppage time at the end — and goalkeeper Niko Giantsopoulos, having come all the way up into the box, got his head on a corner kick in the late stages but the hosts ultimately could not find the net.

So, Cavalry will head back to Alberta having taken all three points from York Lions Stadium, while York will look to get back in the win column next weekend in Halifax.

BOX SCORE

Goals

73′ — Aribim Pepple (Cavalry FC)

Discipline

7′ — Yellow: Cédric Toussaint (York United)
38′ — Yellow: Jean-Aniel Assi (Cavalry FC)
45+1′ — Yellow: Isaiah Johnston (York United)
61′ — Yellow: Chrisnovic N’sa (York United)
63′ — Yellow: Elijah Adekugbe (Cavalry FC)
79′ — Yellow: Diyaeddine Abzi (York United)
84′ — 2nd Yellow: Chrisnovic N’sa (York United)
89′ — Yellow: Mason Trafford (Cavalry FC)
89′ — Yellow: Mateo Hernández (York United)
90+1′ — Daan Klomp (Cavalry FC)