May 2, 2024...Analysis: Topsy-Turvy Derby As Nine Stripes Left Bruised By First-Half Blitz (from York United FC)

ANALYSIS: TOPSY-TURVY DERBY AS NINE STRIPES LEFT BRUISED BY FIRST-HALF BLITZ

Despite creating good chances, their local rivals somehow put up an insurmountable lead.

THE DETAILS

York United fell at the first hurdle of the 2024 Canadian Championship; missing out on qualification to the quarter-final losing 3-1 at Forge FC on Wednesday night. Here are some observations.

BLUNT FIRST HALF

York United were dominated by Forge FC's athleticism and assertiveness and suffered accordingly. Conceding three goals before the break meant the plan hatched by the technical team to reverse the 3-0 thumping at home ten days ago was ineffectual. Forge converted three out of the four shots on target in the first 45 minutes but The Nine Stripes had nothing to show on the scoreboard despite producing three shots on target and 47% of possession. If Mo Babouli had scored his effort from inside the box on 15 minutes to level the scoring, the story would have been different.

Head Coach Martin Nash in the post-match interview said: "It was frustrating to start it off. I thought we got off to a good start initially and then conceded a kind of header outside the penalty spot. We made bad decisions and they punished us. They have a ton of quality and they punished us with every chance they got."

YORK WIN SECOND PERIOD

There was little comfort to The Nine Stripes as they scored the only goal of the second half- Josué Martínez opened his scoring account with the club. Early on in the second half, Mo Babouli sent in a quality cross into the box but substitute Nyl Higgins could not smash it in with a header.

Midfielder Elijah Adekugbe revealed:

"Ultimately we have to live with the performance and the result today which we're not happy with but it wasn't good enough. I think for us it's just a case of managing inconsistencies. I think the only positive from the game is Martinez got his first goal for the club.

"The second half we won, which again means nothing, but after the first half performance and at least getting a goal, the effort to try and rebound, keep going and trying, I think that's the only positive. But I think the negative still is going down three-nil before we have that reaction. So that's something as a team we have to look at and we have to put right."

A STRANGE AFFAIR

York United had two wins and a draw in their previous four visits to Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton against Forge FC. And despite going down heavily by the end of the first half, the lads came back fighting and tried to bite into their hosts.

The opening period - in many ways - was a strange one. Nash's side didn't play poorly, and were certainly much better than in their home opener 10 days ago, yet still found themselves stunned by a 3-goal deficit.

Trailing by two after just 17 minutes, they continued to create and Mo Babouli tested Chris Kalongo on three separate occasions. His first effort - when the game was still very much in the balance - was a turning point. As the half wore on, Nash's plan was clear: get the group back in the locker room, reset, refocus and push hard early in the second to try and nick a goal back. So, to concede a third shortly before the interval was a massively deflating moment.

At full-time, York, despite the 3-1 reverse, had a chunk of possession (55%), five shots on target v Forge’s four. They also had more shots (16) than their hosts (11). The stats made the scoreline look like a deception.

Ridwan Ibrahim Asante

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