RECAP + HIGHLIGHTS: York United vs. Cavalry FC | Sept. 5, 2025

Four days after suffering their worst loss of the season in Halifax, York United returned home to emphatically defeat Cavalry FC 3-1 on Friday night.

Adonijah Reid opened the scoring, with Leonel López and Max Ferrari also getting in on the fun. Fraser Aird, meanwhile, converted a late penalty for Cavalry's lone goal.

With the victory, York close the gap between the two clubs to just a single point in the standings.

The intensity between the two sides that had marked recent meetings continued in the early stages of Friday's match, with several fouls inside the opening 10 minutes.

That included a heavy challenge from York central defender Nyal Higgins on Tobias Warschewski, for which he was shown a yellow card, and a further yellow to York's Reid for a professional foul.

Thereafter, the tempo, and tempers, seemed to settle a little bit, with both sides enjoying spells of possession, but unable to really break the compact lines and shape that both sides presented on the defensive side of the ball.

Neither attempted a shot until the 24th minute, when York's Orlando Botello sailed an effort high and well over the net.

In the 33rd minute, Cavalry forced the game's first shot -- and an excellent chance at that. Michael Baldisimo latched onto a cutback from Warschewski, and sent a low effort through traffic at the York net, but Diego Urtiaga dove to his left to make an outstanding save.

It was York, however, who finally found the breakthrough in the 41st. After Frank Sturing stopped a Cavalry attack, York quickly shifted the ball across to Massimo Ferrin on the left. His low cross connected with a sliding Reid at the back post to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

Despite Cavalry controlling the bulk of possession, especially late in the half, York held that lead going into the half.

The Cavs continued to hold the ball early in the second half. They had a solid chance early in the half as Goteh Ntignee picked out Ayman Sellouf in the box, but the Dutch winger's shot was blocked before getting to the goal. 

In the 59th minute, however, York extended their lead. A free kick just outside the box saw Leonel López cleverly bend the ball around the wall and tuck it just inside the far post past Marco Carducci.

York added a third in the 84th minute, as after Orlando Botello played a ball across the box, Max Ferrari got on the end of it and struck a brilliant first-time shot into the corner.

Cavalry spoiled York's clean sheet late, with Fraser Aird converting a penalty, but it was a small consolation for a game where they were otherwise outclassed.

The match ended a four-game undefeated streak for Cavalry FC, who now return home for another crucial match in the standings next Saturday.

BOX SCORE

Lineups

York United: Urtiaga; Sturing, Higgins, Singh; Ferrari, López (Adekugbe 72'), Kibato (Accettola 89'), Botello; Reid (Altobelli 63'), Ferrin (Record-Wright 89'), Hundal

Cavalry FC: Carducci; Aird, Klomp, Laing, Kamdem (Elva 67'); Kobza, Baldisimo (Field 67'); Sellouf (Wähling 79'), Camargo (Myroniuk 79'), Ntignee; Warschewski

Goals

40' — Adonijah Reid (York United FC)
59' -- Leonel López (York United FC)
84' -- Max Ferrari (York United FC)
87' -- Fraser Aird (Cavalry FC) (Penalty)

Discipline

6' — Yellow: Nyal Higgins (York United)
10' -- Yellow: Adonijah Reid (York United)
29' -- Yellow: Luke Singh (York United)
55' -- Yellow: Daan Klomp (Cavalry FC)
56' -- Yellow: Bradley Kamdem (Cavalry FC)
70' -- Yellow: Orlando Botello (York United)
72' -- Yellow: Leonel López (York United)