By Darnel Harris

York9 scored early and often at Clarke Stadium in Edmonton on Saturday to keep their faint hopes of winning the Fall Season alive. Nicknamed the ‘Eddies’ by their Alberta fans, York brushed away the memories of their turbulent summer to capture all three points.

After yet another tough defeat to Winnipeg at home, York left for Edmonton knowing every single game left in their season is a must win. An early goal off a free kick headed in by Luca Gasparotto in the 8^th minute gave York another early lead, but this time York continued to take their chances when they had them.

In the 21^st minute, a sneaky flat cross from the corner was bundled in by Rodrigo Gattas after evading two defenders. Ten minutes later, York stole the ball shortly after a goal kick and Ryan Telfer, who scored his first goal for Trinidad and Tobago a few weeks ago, calmly fired in a shot to the far corner. While Edmonton dominated possession and managed to get one back in the 65^th minute when Easton Ongaro’s shot bobbled through a crowd into the goal, they rarely threatened York’s goal for the rest of the game.

Despite sitting third in a congested Canadian Premier League table, the odds of York playing in the 2019 CPL Championship series remain grim. York currently has 16 of a possible 31 points, while Calgary’s Calvary and Hamilton’s Forge are both on 25 of a possible 43 points. The good news for York9 is while they need the leaders to lose, their next three matches are against Calvary and Forge, where they can do some of the damage themselves. York will start by trying to rout Cavalry’s charge at York Lions Stadium on September 28^th at 6 PM.