EDMONTON – The first real chance of the game was all FC Edmonton needed on Wednesday at Clarke Field, as they dispatched Forge FC 1-0 thanks to Oumar Diouck’s 16th-minute goal.

Although the visiting Forge came out on the front foot, the Eddies got on the board first. Jeannot Esua found himself in acres of space out on the right flank, and he delivered a ground cross which Diouck just about managed to finish past goalkeeper Triston Henry.

From there, Jeff Paulus’ side was able to sit back and make Forge come to them. Trying to avoid being exposed or stretched out by Forge’s speedy players, FCE played conservatively, taking just three shots after their initial one which found the back of the net. Forge finished with over 60% possession, but they only managed to throw 10 shots toward the Eddies.

FC Edmonton’s win, their second-straight, launches them into third in the CPL’s Spring standings after so long in the basement. Although Cavalry FC has already wrapped up the title, a strong finish in the last week of Spring bodes well for the Eddies as they move toward the Fall campaign.

That’ll do it for Forge’s Spring campaign, with their next contest a Fall season home match against the Eddies again, on Saturday, July 6 (1:00 p.m. ET, on OneSoccer). FC Edmonton, however, will take part in the Canada Day festivities, as they host HFX Wanderers FC on July 1 (6:00 p.m. ET, 4:00 p.m. MT, on OneSoccer).

Box Score

Goals
16′ – Oumar Diouck (FC Edmonton)

Disciplinary
64′ – Yellow Card – Bertrand Owundi (Forge FC)

Three Key Performers

Oumar Diouck (FC Edmonton) 

The Belgian forward seems to be emerging as the Eddies’ most prolific scorer. The finish for his goal on Wednesday was a good one at pace, and he very nearly added an assist in the first half by setting up Son Yong-Chan for a strike that was ruled offside.

Ramon Soria (FC Edmonton)

The midfielder was a major reason for the Eddies’ success in neutralizing Forge’s attacking threats. He was cutting off attacking moves all evening, winning seven interceptions and adding two tackles and a blocked shot. As a major cog in a system that executed almost to perfection in this game, Soria deserves credit for stepping up when called upon.

Connor James (FC Edmonton) 

This match was an incredibly frustrating one for Forge, in part because the chances they did get through were stopped in their tracks by the Eddies’ goalkeeper. He was an extremely calming presence at the back, and although he didn’t have a particularly high amount of shots to save (just three), he stopped them all and looked sharp in a game that required constant focus.