HFX Wanderers defeated York 9 by 4-1 at home in the Canadian Premier League Group Stage on Saturday evening. The hosts began well with Raúl López opening the scoring in the third minute, but I. Johnston levelled nine minutes later before Lorenzo Callegari put HFX ahead in the 24th. Two more Johnston goals — one from the spot after a VAR penalty decision — sealed the result, with Jason Bahamboula adding a fourth in the 73rd minute.
We had backed the home side to win, and the match unfolded much as expected. HFX controlled the tempo after going ahead, and here's the thing — they didn't need to dominate possession to control the game. York 9 held 60 per cent of the ball but created just two big chances compared to five for the hosts. The visitors could pass it around, but couldn't find a way through.
By then, the penalty decisions had shifted momentum. Johnston converted his spot-kick in the 34th minute after VAR confirmed a handball, and Bahamboula's own penalty attempt was cancelled — a moment that kept the scoreline honest. The visitors started collecting yellow cards from the 49th minute onward, Kembo Kibato joining a list that would eventually include Kareem Sow, Luke Singh, Jefferson Alphonse, Lorenzo Callegari, and Oswaldo Leon.
HFX turned to the kids at the 71st minute, bringing on Luca Acettola, Jorge Ariel Almagro Albán, and Miguel Arilla Guinot in the same window. Bahamboula came on himself earlier and delivered, finishing off a move that York 9 simply couldn't shut down. The visitors' goalkeeper made four saves, but the accuracy of HFX's shots — 62 per cent on target — told the real story.
The result keeps both sides level on 23 points, though HFX sit sixth after 22 games while York 9 remain seventh with 20 matches played. The hosts have now won three of their last five outings, bouncing back from that heavy defeat to Cavalry. York 9, meanwhile, drew three of their last five — a pattern that suggests they're finding consistency but still struggling to close out results.