York United clinched the final CPL playoff position with a 1-0 win over Valour FC on Sunday afternoon at York Lions Stadium.
A welcome return to the starting lineup since August 17, Julian Altobelli scored the lone goal of the match to bring his total to 10 on the season.
Altobelli had a couple of opportunities in the opening stages down the left side, but his shots in tight were quickly blocked or saved at the near post.
- Photo gallery: York United beat Valour FC in Canadian Premier League action
On the other side of the field, Valour found attacking sequences down the left side through Jordan Faria, but his crosses were not capitalised on fully in the final third.
In the 35th minute, York had a great opportunity as Shola Jimoh found Steffan Yeates in the box, but his shot in tight was quickly saved by Valour goalkeeper Eleias Himaras.
In the 40th minute, Valour also came close to an opener as Diego Konincks’ header at the top of the six-yard box was bounced towards goal, but Diego Urtiaga was quick to react to the bounce.
In the 44th minute, York found the lone goal of the match through Altobelli. Working the ball through the middle of the pitch, Massimo Ferrin slid a pass through the backline for Altobelli, who hit the shot past Himaras into the bottom left corner to give York the 1-0 lead before half-time.
“[Altobelli] is a very natural finisher inside the box,” said Eustáquio post-game. “Those opportunities, I know when he does get them, nine times out of 10, he’ll put it in the back of the net. He’s been working hard on and off the field to maintain his body fitness. He needs a run of games or run of minutes to go into the playoffs in a good manner.”
The second half was a quiet affair as York did well to control the pace of the game and keep Valour off the ball. York held Valour to only one shot on target, and largely dominated possession throughout the middle of the pitch.
With the win, York returns to the playoffs for a third straight season, and with three games remaining, they will attempt to move up the standings in the final weeks of the regular season. Valour, meanwhile, are now eliminated from the playoffs as their hunt for their first postseason berth will have to wait until next year.
“In the first half it was a very good performance. I thought we were extremely good on the ball,” said Eustáquio. “There was a couple things we were just a little bit too sloppy with, but we found pockets really well. … We need to be a little bit more hungry in the final third, a lot more shots, more finishes. It was a good performance, the guys put in a shift, showed some attitude, and the number one objective was to clinch, and we did that.”
“I don’t think we played a very good game,” said Valour FC head coach Phillip Dos Santos. “I think we fought, because again we needed to show up, we knew that, but the execution needs to be there too. I don’t think it was there today.”
York United’s next match will be away in Halifax as they face Halifax Wanderers FC on Saturday, October 4. Valour FC will return home in its next match to face Atlético Ottawa on Sunday, October 5.
