FC Edmonton are back in the win column, as they returned to home turf in emphatic fashion with a 3-2 win over HFX Wanderers FC, scoring some highlight-reel goals en route to their third victory of the 2022 season.

Eddies boss Alan Koch named an unchanged starting XI from the side that drew 1-1 with Valour FC last weekend, as he sought to build on some of the positive signs from the prior outing. Stephen Hart, also looking to continue his side’s good form, deployed a slightly different Wanderers team to last week’s, as Aidan Daniels was the lone change, slotting into attacking midfield in place of Fumpa Mwandwe.

The hosts, playing at Clarke Stadium for the first time in over a month, took command of the ball in the opening stages of this match. Edmonton were quite patient in possession, looking to build up from the back and find runners in behind, and they methodically looked for gaps in the Halifax defence.

Just after the 20 minute mark, the Eddies found their reward for sustained pressure. Wesley Timoteo, floating inward from the left flank, brought down a ball in the air with a deft touch to set it up for himself at the top of the box. He fired a powerful shot toward the near post, and Wanderers keeper Kieran Baskett managed to get his fingertips to it, but it ricocheted off the left post and across the goalmouth, taking a bounce off the right post and falling perfect for Azriel Gonzalez to tap it in for his third goal in three games.

After conceding, the Wanderers began to grow into the game much more, creating more chances for themselves and holding onto the ball more comfortably. Just over 15 minutes after the Eddies’ goal, Zach Fernandez chased a ball into the Edmonton penalty area, and goalkeeper Darlington Murasiranwa mistimed his attempt to clear it, missing the ball with his punch and instead catching Fernandez in the face. Referee Michael Venne awarded a penalty, and Sam Salter stepped up to score it low to the right, equalizing the game with his ninth goal of the season.

The Eddies came out of halftime on the front foot again, as they began to play a little more aggressively and sought attacking opportunities up the wings. A couple minutes before the hour mark, Timoteo managed to get in behind the Wanderers right-back and drove into the box on his own. Although he may have had an angle to shoot, he selflessly slid a pass across the box to a trailing Tobias Warschewski, whose first shot was stopped by Baskett only for Warschewski to get to the rebound and finish to put FCE back in front.

Just four minutes after that, Edmonton won a corner kick, and Gonzalez played it short to Warschewski. The German forward took it on his right foot and curled a gorgeous shot from the goal line that dipped into the box and caught the far post for a quasi-Olimpico goal that delighted the Clarke Stadium crowd.

With his side now trailing by two goals, HFX manager Hart made a quadruple substitution for the final 25 minutes, bringing on Ryan Robinson, Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé, Kodjo Amla, and Cristian Campagna (for his club debut) in an effort to get a foothold in the match.

The visitors made things very interesting toward the end. In the 83rd minute, the ball fell nicely for Gagnon-Laparé just outside the box, and he blasted it quickly toward the goal. His shot hit the post, but it took a fortuitous bounce for the Wanderers and deflected off the back of a diving Murasiranwa and in to cut Edmonton’s lead to one goal.

The Eddies, however, would not break again, as they continued to look for attacking opportunities right to the end and ultimately saw out the victory quite professionally. So, FCE picked up their third win of the season, breaking a seven-game winless streak in a successful homecoming.

BOX SCORE

Goals

21′ — Azriel Gonzalez (FC Edmonton)
38′ — Samuel Salter (HFX Wanderers FC) (Penalty)
58′ — Tobias Warschewski (FC Edmonton)
62′ — Tobias Warschewski (FC Edmonton)
83′ — Darlington Murasiranwa (FC Edmonton) (Own Goal)

Discipline

39′ — Yellow: Tobias Warschewski (FC Edmonton)
63′ — Yellow: Marcus Simmons (FC Edmonton)
85′ — Yellow: Shamit Shome (FC Edmonton)