York9 FC is back in the win column, as they snapped a five-game winless streak by beating Pacific FC 2-0 on Wednesday night at Westhills Stadium. Ending their four-match road trip on a high note, the Nine Stripes leapfrogged their West Coast foes to seize fourth place in the CPL’s Fall competition.

The match was a cagey, somewhat flat affair in the first half, as neither side managed to exert much control. The home side had the upper hand, with 10 shots, although their failure to put many of them on target (only three) meant that they never truly challenged York9 goalkeeper Nathan Ingham, save for a strangely-deflected shot that tested his reflexes.

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After the break, the second half seemed slated to go down much the same way, with neither side taking over proceedings. On the back of a ten-minute run of pressure from Pacific, though, it was York9 that broke the deadlock just after the hour mark. Fullback Morey Doner made the run up the right flank, dispatching his marker with deceptive stepovers, and he fired in a cross for Rodrigo Gattas to catch with his head. Although Pacific’s Mark Village saved the initial shot, Simon Adjei was right on the doorstep to bury the chance for York9.

Pacific’s comeback attempt was a valiant one, with Noah Verhoeven and Jose Hernandez coming in to try and draw the home side level. Again, though, it was the Nine Stripes who struck after Pacific failed to convert the chances they created. Finding the ball at the top of the box, Simon Adjei stepped around his defender with some tricky footwork and slotted a low shot past the far post to put the game to bed, securing three much-welcomed points for York9.

Both sides will be back in action in short order. Pacific will stay at home, welcoming FC Edmonton to Westhills Stadium this Saturday, September 14 (3:00 p.m. ET, 12:00 p.m. PT, on OneSoccer). York9’s homecoming kicks off the following day, as they return to York Lions Stadium to host Valour FC (3:30 p.m. ET, on OneSoccer).

Box Score

Goals
64′ – Simon Adjei (York9 FC)
83′ – Simon Adjei (York9 FC)

Discipline
43′ Yellow – Joseph Di Chiara (York9 FC)
55′ Yellow – Hendrik Starostzik (Pacific FC)

Three Key Performers

Joseph Di Chiara (York9 FC)

The tenacious midfielder was an agitating presence all night, refusing to give up on any ball and closing down his opponents. He finished with an 82.4% pass accuracy, adding four tackles in a match that benefited from his fervent energy.

Zach Verhoven (Pacific FC)

Pacific’s failure to score was not for lack of effort from Verhoven. He put in a strong shift drifting out wide, firing eight crosses in from the flank. Verhoven took four shots himself and provided the feed for another three, looking keen to get on the end of Kadin Chung’s long passes toward him.

Simon Adjei (York9 FC)

The Swedish centre-forward deserves credit for performing tonight in a season where things have rarely gone his way. His first goal may have been gifted by being in the right place at the right time, but the second was pure class, as he created his own space and finished excellently.