HIGHLIGHTS: Cavalry FC vs. Valour FC (May 21, 2022)

For the second straight week, it was late drama for Cavalry FC, who stunned Valour FC in stoppage time 2-1. Elijah Adekugbe scored the winner after Stefan Cebara’s header cancelled out a goal from Myer Bevan. All three goals came in the final six minutes of the match.

Valour FC tested Marco Carducci almost immediately as captain Daryl Fordyce struck a dipping knuckleball from outside of the box, which the Cavalry keeper handled well.

It was CanPL newcomer, Bradley Vliet, in his first league home start, who first got a shot on the Valour net with a threatening low-driven strike from outside the box. However, as has been the case often recently, the Valour keeper was equal to the shot and was able to deflect it out of harm’s way.

Both sides struggled to create any more chances in the middle part of the half. Cavalry did a good job of stopping Valour in their moments of transition, while the Winnipeg side excelled at keeping a disciplined defensive line that forced the Cavs offside on multiple occasions.

José Escalante was finally able to beat that trap in the 30th minute, heading a bouncing ball outside the box past Valour defender Andy Baquero and into space. His half volley, however, was once again stopped by Sirois.

Valour, who definitely had fewer offensive chances for most of the half, woke up in the final five minutes. Jacob Carlos and Alessandro Riggi played a brilliant one-two through the middle of the Cavalry box, but Carlos’ shot was blocked. They had a few more half-chances before Carducci claimed a cross and was able to settle his side down to get to the half still tied 0-0.

Sirois nearly got himself into trouble early in the second half, as his clearance was blocked by Escalante. Fisk was able to find Bevan in the box, but the Cavalry attacked was closed down quickly by the Valour defence and was unable to get a shot off.

Cavalry kept on the pressure to start the second half, pinning the visitors back into their own half but were unable to create any significant chances. Looking to add something to their attack, Tommy Wheeldon Jr. made a double substitution to bring on Charlie Trafford and Jean-Aniel Assi.

The half continued to play out in the Valour half, coming at the visitors from all angles. It was the substitute, Trafford, who finally afforded the hosts a legitimate scoring chance when he won a penalty in the 82nd minute after being brought down in the box by Diego Gutiérrez.

It was a moment that played out for Valour last week against York, and Jonathan Sirois continued his absurd record from penalty kicks as he stopped Bevan’s initial attempt. The striker, however, was first to the rebound which he looped over Sirois and into the back of the net to finally

Valour, however, has shown this season that they will play until the final whistle. For the second straight week, they provided a moment of late magic. Gutiérrez was afforded a moment of redemption as his corner kick found the head of Moses Dyer, who flicked it toward Cebara at the back post. The Valour centreback calmly headed the ball into the back of the net to tie the game at one.

Dyer then nearly put the visitors ahead of few moments later, but his shot skimmed across the goalmouth and wide.

Then in injury time, it was Trafford who once again played hero, working down the left wing and sliding the ball into the centre of the box. Having defended so well for 90 minutes, Valour failed to pick up the late run of Elijah Adekugbe who smashed the ball into the back of the net and kept Cavalry’s perfect record at Spruce Meadows alive.

Goals

84′ — Myer Bevan (Cavalry FC) — Pen

88′ — Stefan Cebara (Valour FC) 

90′ + 2 — Elijah Adekugbe (Cavalry FC)

Discipline

44′ — Yellow: Bradley Vliet (Cavalry FC) 

68′ — Yellow: Daryl Fordyce (Valour FC) 

84′ — Yellow: Rocco Romeo (Valour FC)

87′ — Yellow: Walter Ponce (Valour FC) 

87′ — Yellow: Andy Baquero (Valour FC)