RECAP + HIGHLIGHTS: Forge FC vs. Pacific FC | Sept. 27, 2025

Forge FC are still leading the CPL Shield race, as they downed Pacific FC 4-0 at Hamilton Stadium on Saturday to keep pace at the top of the table.

Forge didn't need long to get the party started in this one. After a couple early visits to the attacking half, the home side scored in just the third minute. Hoce Massunda brought down a long ball out by the left touchline, and cut toward the box on his own. Massunda's deft footwork opened up space for him after Mattias Vales slipped trying to defend, and Massunda lofted an excellent strike from the edge of the box past Sean Melvin and into the back corner of the goal.

Twenty minutes later, it would be from a similar spot on the pitch that Forge found their next goal. This time it was Noah Jensen, who had drifted high after a corner, receiving a pass out on the left side of the box, and he flicked another good shot over traffic and into the back corner, as Forge doubled their lead early.

Frustrated by his team's poor first half, Pacific coach James Merriman made a triple substitution at halftime. He brought some of his more experienced players onto the pitch, adding Josh Heard, Aidan Daniels and Yann Toualy to the mix while taking off youngsters Veniamin Chernyshev, Mattias Vales and Sami Keshavarz.

Forge likewise made an early substitution, but not by choice, as Viktor Klonaridis picked up an injury just a minute into the half and Bobby Smyrniotis had to put Brian Wright in to replace him.

Pacific settled somewhat in the second half after making their changes, and threatened the Forge penalty area a couple of times, but still couldn't overturn the momentum Forge had built up in the first half. The Hammers were relatively comfortable holding onto possession, perhaps not attacking as aggressively with a 2-0 lead but still in control of the game.

Smyrniotis chose to give recent signing Harry Paton his club debut with the last 20 minutes, and soon after that he brought on Ben Paton, giving the two brothers about 10 minutes of time on the pitch together.

Forge added one more to their lead moments before stoppage time, as a well-worked corner routine saw Mo Babouli play an excellent ball to the back post. Elimane Cisse was in perfect position to nod it in for his first goal since August 2024, as the Hammers made it 3-0.

They'd add yet one more goal with the final action of the match, as Harry Paton picked up the ball near the end line and flicked it across the six-yard box, where Brian Wright managed to redirect it out of the air for the home side's fourth of the afternoon.

Now up to 53 points, the Hammers maintained their two-point lead over Atlético Ottawa and thus remain atop the table. The margin is thin, but Forge control their own destiny in the CPL Shield race with three weeks left.

Pacific, meanwhile, were officially eliminated from playoff contention with the loss, finding themselves 12 points out of the top five.

BOX SCORE

Lineups

Forge FC: Koleilat; Rama, Nimick, Achinioti-Jönsson, Jevremović (B. Paton 83'); Borges (H. Paton 70'), Hojabrpour, Jensen (Babouli 83'); Choinière (Cisse 70'), Klonaridis (Wright 48'), Massunda

Pacific FC: Melvin; Chung, Baldisimo, Greco-Taylor, Mukumbilwa; Vales (Toualy 46'), Keshavarz (Daniels 46'), Juhmi (Schiavoni 83'), Young; Díaz (Zanatta 83'), Chernyshev (Heard 46')

Goals

3' — Hoce Massunda (Forge FC)
22' — Noah Jensen (Forge FC)
88' — Elimane Cisse (Forge FC)
90+5' — Brian Wright (Forge FC)

Discipline

44' — Yellow: Roshawn Juhmi (Pacific FC)
45+1' — Yellow: Christian Greco-Taylor (Pacific FC)
89' — Yellow: Rezart Rama (Forge FC)