RECAP + HIGHLIGHTS: Halifax Wanderers vs. Pacific FC | Sept. 20, 2025

The Halifax Wanderers moved one step closer to clinching playoff qualification on Saturday afternoon, beating Pacific FC 3-0 at Wanderers Grounds after a dominant second half.

Yann Toualy, who scored a hat trick against the Wanderers earlier this season, had the game's first shot on target a minute-and-a-half into the game, letting fly from outside the box and forcing Rayane Yesli to react. The Wanderers' first attempt came about 12 minutes later after they spent a few minutes gaining momentum back from Pacific, with Vitor Dias attempting an audacious volleyed chip from outside the box with Sean Melvin off his line. He couldn't get his shot on target and it bounced to the wide right of the net.

Ryan Telfer, starting a bit deeper than usual in a left wingback role, had a golden opportunity to get a shot away in the 24th minute, after Kadin Chung was unable to get clean contact on an attempted clearance. Telfer stepped into his shot and got good power behind it, but smashed it across goal, sending it wide of the post.

Sean Rea was lively in the first half, including sending Isaiah Johnston in on goal with a pass through the middle that Melvin did well to come out of his net and pounce on. Rea also took a shot of his own later in the half from just outside the penalty area, sending it to the left of Melvin's net this time. Matthew Baldisimo did well to bring the ball down and volley it after a set piece didn't go to plan for Pacific, but the Tridents defender was leaning back a bit and his attempt also went high and wide.

The Wanderers out-shot Pacific 3-2 in a fairly even opening half, but it was the Tridents who had the only attempt on target before the break. Within a few minutes of the second half kicking off, though, the Wanderers found themselves up two with a pair of players scoring their first goals for the club.

Six minutes after play resumed, Rea and Johnston combined again and this time the ball ended up in the back of the net. Rea played a pass on the ground to the charging Johnston, who calmly chipped the ball over Melvin this time to open the scoring. Moments later, Ahmad Mansour fouled Yohan Baï in the penalty box, sending Lorenzo Callegari to the penalty spot, where he slotted his long-awaited first goal for the club into the bottom left corner.

Pacific tried to respond to the sudden deficit they found themselves in, but a shot from Chung missed the target, Dario Zanatta had an attempt blocked, and Yesli caught one of the crosses the Tridents were able to send in his net's direction.

The hosts made it 3-0 in the 69th minute, with Rea front and centre again. It was his shot attempt that struck Roshawn Juhmi in front of goal and took a big deflection, taking Sean Melvin out of the play completely as the ball ended up in the back of his goal.

With their season on the line, Pacific kept pushing to get back into the game, but the Wanderers backline held strong to ground out the last few minutes of what would end up being a fairly comfortable victory in front of their home supporters.

With the win, the Wanderers will clinch a spot in the 2025 CPL Playoffs on Saturday night, if Valour FC loses or draws away to Cavalry FC. That result would also clinch Cavalry's spot in the playoffs, and give York an opportunity to clinch the final spot on Sunday night if they beat Vancouver FC. Pacific FC will be eliminated from playoff contention if York win or draw.

BOX SCORE

Lineups

Halifax Wanderers FC: Yesli; Alphonse, Meilleur-Giguère, Mekidèche; Pearlman (Timoteo 67'), Johnston (Dunn 85'), Callegari, Telfer; Dias (Rampersad 79'), Baï (Walkes 79'), Rea

Pacific FC: Melvin; Chung, Baldisimo, Mansour, Mukumbilwa (Vales 79'); Young (Heard 71'), Juhmi (Keshavarz 85'); Toualy (Greco-Taylor 71'), Daniels, Zanatta (Montejano 85'); Diaz

Goals

51' -- Isaiah Johnston (Halifax Wanderers FC)
55' -- Lorenzo Callegari (Halifax Wanderers FC) -- penalty
69' -- Roshawn Juhmi (Pacific FC) -- own goal

Discipline

27' — Yellow: Sean Young (Pacific FC)
32' — Yellow: Adam Pearlman (Halifax Wanderers FC)
37' — Yellow: Roshawn Juhmi (Pacific FC)
72' -- Yellow: Josh Heard (Pacific FC)
86' -- Yellow: Sean Rea (Halifax Wanderers FC)
86' -- Yellow: Christian Greco-Taylor (Pacific FC)