Cavalry FC came from behind to defeat arch-rivals Forge FC 2-1 at ATCO Field Saturday, moving to the top of the Canadian Premier League (CPL) standings after a match that saw the visitors reduced to nine players.
“We had to win to flip the table and that’s what we did and that was a really interesting way in which we did it,” said Cavalry FC head coach and GM Tommy Wheeldon Jr after the match. “I’m delighted for the lads, they knew what the job was and they’ve gone and done it.”
The opening 20 minutes of the match were closely contested with the Cavs enjoying more possession but struggling to create clear opportunities.
The Hammers, who defended aggressively and used physical challenges to disrupt the hosts’ rhythm, took the lead in the 19th minute after a costly Cavalry error.
Ali Musse attempted to pass to a teammate but instead gave the ball to Nana Ampomah, who carried it into the box and squared it well for Ismael Oketokoun to put his team ahead.
Cavalry almost responded in the 25th minute when Tobias Warschewski delivered a dangerous free kick into the box, only for Amer Didic to get a foot to the ball but not keep his effort on target.
Five minutes later, Cavalry had another major opportunity when Nathaniel Edwards won possession and found Caniggia Elva inside the box. Elva controlled the ball well but shot wide with a clear opportunity to equalize.
Forge reduced to 10 as Cavalry push for equalizer
The match took a significant turn in the 36th minute when Forge defender Rezart Rama was shown a yellow card following a confrontation inside the penalty area.
As a scuffle broke out in the box, Didic signalled Wheeldon Jr. to use the Football Video Support (FVS) challenge. The review confirmed that Rama had attempted to rough up and choke Cavalry defender Daan Klomp, and therefore a straight red card was shown instead.
The remainder of the first half became increasingly heated with several scuffles and yellow cards as both teams struggled to maintain their composure.
Cavalry started the second half aggressively and created several opportunities. Warschewski found Musse on the right, but Musse’s first touch prevented him from taking advantage of the opening. Elva then forced a save from Forge goalkeeper Dimitry Bertaud.
Another opportunity fell to Edwards in the 55th minute after Warschewski delivered a dangerous cross. But the ball bounced awkwardly, preventing Edwards from scoring.
The hosts, however, finally equalized in the 62nd minute.
Warschewski delivered another excellent cross from the left, finding Klomp inside the box. Klomp brought the ball down with his chest, finished with the outside of his foot to make it 1-1, and extended his record as the highest-scoring defender in CPL history.
Cavalry then continued to control the match but nearly conceded against the run of play in the 70th minute when Oketokoun was released on a counterattack. The striker went one-on-one with Cavalry goalkeeper Nate Ingham, but his shot went wide.
Antoniuk delivers late winner for Cavalry
Cavalry completed the comeback in the 83rd minute through substitute Owen Antoniuk.
After receiving a pass from Paton on the edge of the box, Antoniuk curled a first-time right-footed shot into the top-left corner, leading ATCO Field to erupt in celebration.
Bertaud had no chance of making the save as the Forge keeper could only see the ball hitting the back of the net, giving Cavalry a 2-1 lead in what proved to be the decisive moment.
“You dream about that big game and scoring in it,” Antoniuk said. “It feels amazing and I still haven’t really processed it.”
Forge pushed forward in search of an equalizer, leaving space for Cavalry to attack on the counter. But all hopes turned to ash in the 88th minute when Forge defender Marko Jevremovic was shown a straight red card for a last-man challenge on Musse.
The Hammers used their FVS challenge, but the decision stood, leaving the visitors with nine players. Forge’s disciplinary record against Cavalry remains notable. Of the 14 red cards Forge have received in CPL history, 11 have come against Cavalry.
The defeat was Forge’s second consecutive loss after a 1-0 defeat against Vancouver FC last weekend. The Hammers are now two points behind Cavalry but have a game in hand.
Cavalry also maintained their strong home record against Forge. The Cavs have won six and drawn four of their last 11 home matches against Forge, who have recorded just one victory at ATCO Field during that period.
“This is our house and we have certain behaviours in our house and they don’t like coming here,” added Wheeldon Jr. “And we don’t want to make them feel welcome at all.
“We’ve tired them, but we also aren’t lifting trophies now and we aren’t naïve enough to think they won’t come back with a vengeance next time we face them, but we’ve also reminded them who we are and reminded the league who we are.”
The result also preserves Cavalry’s unbeaten home record in the 2026 CPL season. They have won six and drawn two of their eight league matches at ATCO Field.
