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Photo Credit: Jojo Yanjiao Qian
Forge 5-0 Valour: Hammers Run Rampant At Home
By Just as they did the last time they faced Valour, Forge showed no mercy.
The scoreline once again read 5-0 in the Hammers’ favour in a strong showing against their Winnipeg-based opponent. Five different players found the back of the net in a sound victory.
Forge, who had won their last two heading into the match – including a 2-1 defeat of the Halifax Wanderers last Friday – made two changes to their starting lineup. In came David Choiniere and Tristan Borges for Hoce Massunda and Ben Paton.
As for Valour, who defeated Cavalry 2-1 on Tuesday, there was only one difference in their starting eleven. That came in goal, where Jonathan Viscosi was unavailable due to injury. Elias Himaras was suspended, meaning Callum Weir got his debut for the club.
After a quiet opening 10 minutes, Tristan Borges whipped in a corner that was met by Alexander Achiniotti-Jonsson. The Swede’s header came off the post and stayed out. It was Valour’s first warning shot.
Forge took the lead 25 minutes in as their pressure paid off. Nana Ampomah was picked out by Kyle Bekker and had an attempt. Zachary Fernandez was there to block the shot, but it fell to an open Borges, who converted from close range.
Valour had their best chance of the game a few moments later. Off a throw-in, Bruno Figueiredo managed to find space. The Portuguese midfielder let fly from outside of the box, with his knuckled effort flashing wide of the mark. Given the ball’s movement, it certainly gave Jassem Koleilat a moment of fear.
Moments before the half, the Forge lead was doubled. Ampomah was again part of the play as he put his shot on goal. Weir was there to make the stop, but he could only push it towards Mo Babouli, who scored on an empty goal.
It got worse for the guests, as they conceded a third about a minute later. This time, Ampomah got his goal. The Ghanaian was played in by a stunning Bekker pass. Still having his work cut out for him, the attacker beat two Valour defenders before sliding it past Weir.
Minutes after the restart, Themi Antonoglou had a shot, albeit from a tough angle. In what was Valour’s first shot on target, Koleilat was there to deny the full back.
The Hamiltonians continued to be in control of the match, and were rewarded midway through the second half. Ampomah and Rezart Rama were able to combine on the right-hand side, with the latter picking out Choiniere in the box. The winger went for goal first-time, hitting the ball off the post and in.
Forge rounded out the scoring in the 72nd minute with a well-worked team goal. Bekker was free at the top of the box. Instead of going for goal, the captain teed up Ampomah, who was the man of the match. One pass later, and substitute Noah Jensen was able to finish off the attack.
Jensen nearly scored his second just before the end. Having made a run into the Valour box, he was fed by Hoce Massunda. This time, the midfielder’s shot crashed off the crossbar and stayed out.
Forge ends the day top of the league with their 10th win. They are still unbeaten across their 17 encounters, with that number stretching to 20 across all competitions. Next for them will be the 905 Derby at York United next Saturday.
For Valour, who sees their two-game winning streak end, they remain in sixth spot for now. It was their first-ever match in which they failed to score in Hamilton. Moreover, their run of six games with a goal ended – the last time they failed to score was in the previous meeting with Forge before Saturday. They face Atletico Ottawa at home next Sunday.
Header Image Photo Credit: Jojo Yanjiao Qian
