Despite a late push from Pacific FC, two goals in quick succession from Cavalry’s Joe Mason saw the visiting team leave Starlight Stadium with a 2-1 victory on Friday night.

Pa-Modou Kah rotated his Pacific FC squad slightly for this match, giving Marco Bustos and Lukas MacNaughton the night off entirely, replacing them with Terran Campbell on the right wing and former Cavalry defender Robert Boskovic at centre-back. They also welcomed captain Jamar Dixon back into the starting lineup in place of Matteo Polisi.

Cavalry made several changes from their Canadian Championship victory over FC Edmonton last weekend, as Tommy Wheeldon Jr brought Sergio Camargo, Marco Carducci, Daan Klomp, and Nik Ledgerwood into the starting lineup.

After end-to-end action to begin the match, it would be Cavalry who opened the scoring at Starlight Stadium. After Mo Farsi played a low pass into the box, Joe Mason took the ball around Pacific goalkeeper Callum Irving and calmly slotted the ball home for his third of the season in all competitions.

Moments later, David Norman Jr. nearly made it two for the visitors, beating Irving, but watching his shot crash back off the crossbar.

Mason would double his tally in the 29th minute, beating Irving for a second time as the Cavs hit Pacific on the counter-attack. Sergio Camargo received a long pass before sprinting up the right flank and playing a low cross into Mason, who made a brilliant run into the box, and redirected the ball past Irving from close range.

The visitors entered halftime with a commanding two-goal lead, which they would hold for the majority of the second half as their backline held off Pacific’s attack for the most part.

Pacific were given a lifeline in the 83rd minute, as Kunle Dada-Luke won a penalty for Pacific moments after coming off the bench. Terran Campbell stepped up to take it, and beat Marco Carducci — who guessed the right way but couldn’t keep it out.

In the moments leading up to the penalty being taken, there was a coming-together at the edge of the box between Pacific’s Gianni Dos Santos and Jose Escalante of Cavalry. Dos Santos would be sent off for his involvement, while Escalante saw yellow. A total of seven cards were handed out during a chippy match, with six of them coming in the final 20 minutes.

Despite now being down a player,  Pacific FC pushed on to try and equalize, but failed to do so despite their best efforts. The momentum was very much in their favour after Campbell found the back of the net, but the Cavs held strong.

With the victory, Cavalry move within one point at the top of the Canadian Premier League standings. They sit on 24 points, one back of Pacific FC, and have a game in hand over The Tridents.

BOX SCORE

Goals

23′ — Joe Mason (Cavalry FC)

29′ — Joe Mason (Cavalry FC)

83′ — Terran Campbell (Pacific FC)

Discipline

17′ — Yellow: Joe Mason (Cavalry FC)

70′ — Yellow: Daan Klomp (Cavalry FC)

79′ — Yellow: Alessandro Hojabrpour (Pacific FC)

83′ — Yellow: José Escalante (Cavalry FC)

83′ — Red: Gianni Dos Santos (Pacific FC)

90+2′ — Yellow: Karifa Yao (Cavalry FC)

90+2′ — Yellow: Josh Heard (Pacific FC)