Valour back in win column

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This article was published 03/08/2022 (1467 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Valour FC picked up a crucial three points at IG Field Wednesday night with a bit of history on the side.

The club notched its first victory ever against Cavalry FC on home turf and first against the Calgary outfit since Oct. 30, 2021. Valour snapped a two-match losing skid and earned much-needed momentum in the Canadian Premier League playoff hunt with a 2-0 win.

“It wasn’t a perfect game, far from that,” said Valour head coach Phillip Dos Santos. “I feel that we had a lot of down moments, but I’ll always tell the guys, it’s important to manage the down moments without conceding and that will always give us a chance.”

Moses Dyer couldn’t have drawn up a better return to action. Valour’s all-time leading scorer potted his eighth goal of the season seven minutes into Wednesday’s contest.

Dyer retrieved a deep pass, stepped behind a Cavalry defender and got just enough of his boot on the ball to put it over the head of goalkeeper Marco Carducci. Valour nearly scored another goal in a similar fashion three minutes later, but Carducci didn’t make the same mistake twice.

“It feels very good, especially after being suspended last game for a suspension I don’t think I deserved, but it’s good to get back on the scoresheet,” Dyer said.

Valour continued bringing the pressure when Matteo de Brienne took a pass from Sean Rea and put it just wide of the net. De Brienne was almost involved in Valour’s second goal of the match when he made a pass to Brett Levis who couldn’t finish the chance.

“He’s a player that he’s still not polished, but he’s someone that because of his work ethic will get there,” said Dos Santos. “We’re happy for him.”

Valour lost the first-half possession battle 54.6 per cent to 45.4 per cent, but their dominance in the opening 45 minutes was highlighted by six shots and 11 touches inside the box. In comparison, Winnipeg had three shots and five touches in the box in the first half of its match against Pacific FC last Saturday at IG Field.

“I actually think the overall game was better for 63 minutes against Pacific, but today, we didn’t need to be the best team,” Dos Santos said.

A strong start means nothing without a better finish and that’s exactly what Valour got Wednesday night.

Winnipeg weathered an early Cavalry push to start the second half and the home side found a small window of opportunity when Dyer snuck into the box near the 56th minute. He appeared to be taken down inside the box too, but the referee didn’t award a penalty on the play, causing the supporters in attendance to voice their displeasure.

Valour goalkeeper Rayane Yesli was also tested in the 65th minute when Cavalry forward Joe Mason found himself alone and put the ball on net, but the 22-year-old made a crucial stop. Cavalry put another ball toward the net in the 68th minute, but it sailed over Yesli’s head and over the crossbar.

“He has a lot of potential a lot of good tools and he has a frame that is second to none in the league,” said Dos Santos.

The home side capitalized on the chance it needed in the 72nd minute when Dyer snuck behind Cavalry’s back line, made Carducci miss on a tackle and put the ball in a wide open net. Dyer’s ninth of the season proved to be the insurance marker Valour needed to seal the statement win.

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“I don’t want to make it an individual situation, I think it’s the sum of the parts,” said Dos Santos. “I think that everyone today was solid again.”

Valour is back in action Sunday afternoon to close out a three-game homestand at IG Field with a tilt against York United FC. It’s another important contest for Winnipeg, which sits six points back of the CPL’s final playoff spot following Wednesday’s victory.

“I think it’s going to be two good teams having a go and trying to get on a roll,” said Dos Santos. “But we understand the responsibility right now that we have being at home.”

Gavin.Axelrod@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: Gavin77axe