October 1, 2023...Highlights: York United 1-0 Atletico Ottawa - CPL Match #108 (canpl.ca)
HIGHLIGHTS: York United 1-0 Atlético Ottawa — CPL Match #108
2023-10-01
by CHARLIE O’CONNOR-CLARKE, DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR (@CHARLIEJCLARKE)
York United climbed back into the playoff positions on Sunday at York Lions Stadium, as a late goal against Atlético Ottawa
bagged them a 1-0 victory against their closest foes in the standings with one week left in the regular season.
Both managers received some much-welcomed reinforcements in their starting lineups for this game, as York United got talisman
Mo Babouli and U-21 centre-back Noah Abatneh back from suspension, while Ottawa’s stalwart Spanish defender Diego Espejo
returned to the XI after missing over a month with injury.
In a game of such high stakes, the two teams were a little cagey in the opening half, neither side wanting to blink first
and make a potentially season-defining mistake.
The first genuinely dangerous chance of the match came just after the half-hour mark, as Ottawa again broke forward
in transition and Jean-Aniel Assi played the ball across the box where Zach Verhoven was unmarked. Verhoven had a point-blank
shot at goal, but some outstanding goalkeeping from Niko Giantsopoulos kept York level at 0-0.
Nathan Ingham made a good save of his own down at the other end about 10 minutes later, when Babouli chopped the ball around
a defender and flicked the cross to Jonathan Grant, who attempted to shoot off the volley but had his attempt saved.
The second half began in similar fashion to the first, as Ottawa continued to sit back and invite pressure, hoping for
a counter-attacking opportunity, while York sought to find a way to play through the visitors’ block.
It took until the 74th minute for a good chance to fall, which it did for York United when Brem Soumaoro played an excellent
ball over the top to Austin Ricci, who kept himself onside and got in alone behind the Atleti backline. Ingham, though,
made himself big and saved the one-on-one shot to keep it scoreless.
At last, though, the moment arrived for the hosts. In the 89th minute, Kevin Santos managed to evade a defender in the box
to get in on goal, finishing coolly past Ingham for perhaps one of the biggest goals in York United’s history.
The Nine Stripes, from there, did well to suffocate the game, seeing out a full seven minutes of stoppage time for an absolutely
monumental win, breaking a three-game losing streak and moving into fifth place.
York now control their own fate, and will have the chance to clinch a playoff spot with a win on the last weekend of the season
when they travel to Vancouver FC next Friday night.
BOX SCORE
Goals
89’ — Kevin Santos (York United)
Discipline
38' — Yellow: Brem Soumaoro (York United)
41' — Yellow: Samuel Salter (Atlético Ottawa)
83' — Yellow: Carl Haworth (Atlético Ottawa)
90+1' — Yellow: Gabriel Antinoro (Atlético Ottawa)
90+5' — Yellow: Kevin Santos (York United)
90+6' — Yellow: Diego Espejo (Atlético Ottawa)
back to 2023 York United FC menu
.
.