Cavalry took three points from Forge on Friday night in a Canadian Premier League group stage fixture that swung on early discipline. The hosts won 2-1 at home, extending their lead at the top of the table to four points. The result was decided in the opening exchanges and held firm despite a late fightback.
I. Oketokoun opened the scoring in the twentieth minute, and here's the thing — Cavalry had already seized the rhythm. They pressed high, moved the ball quickly, and Forge's back line looked pushed back before the visitors could settle. By then the hosts had made their intentions clear.
The match turned on the thirty-eighth minute when R. Rama received a red card for Forge. N. Edwards had picked up a yellow just moments before, and suddenly the visitors were down to ten men. To be fair, Cavalry did not rush, but they kept probing and created their biggest chances while the numerical advantage told.
D. Klomp restored the two-goal cushion in the sixty-second minute, and Forge refused to go away. O. Antoniuk pulled one back in the eighty-third minute, catching the hosts on the break after a period of sustained pressure. The visitors threw bodies forward, but a second red card for M. Jevremovic in the ninetieth minute ended any real hope of a comeback.
The statistics showed the imbalance. Cavalry controlled 70 per cent of possession, launched 123 attacks against 45, and sent 159 passes into the final third compared to Forge's 32. They registered six shots on target from fifteen attempts, while the visitors managed only two on target from seven. Five big chances created against two tells the story without embellishment.
Cavalry moved to 46 points from 20 games, four ahead of Forge who remain second with 42 points. The hosts have now won 14 of their 20 matches and extended a run that has seen them dominate the group stage. Forge's recent form had been mixed, and this result adds another layer to their search for consistency.