Article content

The first official instalment of the Canadian Premier League Al (Alberta) Classico has gone to Calgary, but it did not come easy.

Cavalry FC kept their perfect record through their first four league games, holding off FC Edmonton 1-0 at Spruce Meadows on Saturday, and in the process, opening a five-point lead in the Spring Season standings over second place Forge FC of Hamilton. FC Edmonton dropped to fifth place with four points from their first three games.

“It’s was just another tough first half for us,” said FC Edmonton head coach Jeff Paulus. “For whatever reason, we seemed content to just want to defend in the first half. We were just giving them the ball back and the goal they scored in injury time in the first half was just because we didn’t clear a ball. We had the ball comfortably on the sideline all we had to do was playing down the win and we probably see the half out and we make our corrections at half time, and we didn’t do that.”

Cavalry striker Jordan Brown scored the lone goal, 30 seconds from the end of the first half, getting a foot on a shot from Elijah Adekugbe and deflecting it past FC Edmonton goalkeeper Connor James. It was the first goal FC Edmonton have conceded in open play in three games this season. The only other goal FC Edmonton conceded was on a penalty kick in a 2-1 in Winnipeg against Valour FC.