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HIGHLIGHTS: Forge takes wild win in York9 home opener

Attacking football, extreme weather, a long break and two quality goals: What else would you want from a derby match?

Goals from Chris Nanco and Tristan Borges following a 75-minute lightning delay gave Forge FC a 2-0 905 Derby win over York9 FC in the first Canadian Premier League match held at York Lions Stadium.

Both sides were unlucky to score in the sunny, back-and-forth first half, firing off 22 shots between them.

The weather took a turn for the worst at halftime. Lightning strikes led referee Yusri Rudolf to delay the match in the 62nd minute, sending players to their dressing rooms in a downpour. A 75-minute delay followed before the sides returned to play at 6:40 p.m. ET.

It didn’t take the visitors long to jump ahead of their 905 rivals in an otherwise neck-and-neck contest.

Chris Nanco opened the scoring in the 70th-minute with a one-hit strike. A low cross from Kyle Bekker found the second-half substitute, who placed it in the top left corner.

Forge showed their quality once again in the 77th minute. A Kyle Bekker free kick, dummied by Nanco, found Tristan Borges at the top of the box. Borges smashed home the dagger, giving the visitors a key Spring season win.

York9 are now set to head to Halifax on May 29 for a dance with HFX Wanderers FC (6:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. AT, on OneSoccer). Meanwhile, Forge next hosts FC Edmonton in CPL action, with the two outfits meeting for the first time (May 29, 7:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. MT, on OneSoccer) in a CONCACAF League qualifier.

Box Score

Goals
70′ – Chris Nanco (Forge FC)
78′ – Tristan Borges (Forge FC)

Discipline
64′ Yellow Card – Anthony Novak  (Forge FC)
67′ Yellow Card – Rodrigo Gattas (York9 FC)
92′ Yellow Card – Luca Gasparotto (Forge FC)


Three key performers

Kyle Bekker (Forge FC)

Captian Bekker was rewarded with two assists but could have easily had four or five. Bekker was key to Forge’s early offensive performance, moving the ball well and playing with pace in transition.

Tristan Borges (Forge FC)

Forge’s attacker went top of the CPL’s goalscoring chart with his 78th-minute rocket, one of three shots on goal. Taking defenders on confidently, Borges capitalized on the space Y9 afforded Forge in the final third.

Diyaeddine Abzi (York9 FC)

York9’s go-to left fullback put in an impressive shift in a match that lacked many decent performances from defenders. Abzi had a team-high five interceptions as he patrolled the wing for 90 minutes.