It was a game of two halves in tonight's 0-0 result between the Halifax Wanderers and Forge FC. Both teams needed a full 45 minutes to figure each other out, but once they did, neither took their foot off the pedal. The second half was full of excitement and chances galore, but neither team was able to secure the decisive goal at Wanderers Grounds. Here are the talking points from tonight's matchup.
Halifax still unable to get a result against Forge
The Wanderers will have mixed feelings after this match. While they will be delighted to have secured a point against league-leading Forge, they will be disappointed that they are still unable to defeat the Hammers despite creating several quality chances. Halifax registered 11 shots — just one of them on target — but couldn't find the breakthrough. Forge are now unbeaten in their last eight matches against the Wanderers, posting a 7-1-0 record. Halifax will have another opportunity to end that run when the two sides meet again in October at Hamilton Stadium, a place the Wanderers have never won at.
Solid from Daryl Fordyce, who replaced Vanni Sartini on the sidelines tonight
Despite the 0-0 draw, Halifax assistant coach Daryl Fordyce will be encouraged by both the result and performance from his players in tonight's match. The Wanderers did not seem intimidated by the top-seeded side and at times brought the fight to the boys in orange. They looked dangerous in attack, battled hard in midfield, and defended well, all of which can be attributed to the well-worked tactics of the Belfast, Northern Ireland native. As Fordyce hands the reins back to Vanni Sartini, he will be doing so with his coaching stock on the rise.
Cyprian Kachwale forced off due to injury
It was a tough break for Wanderers striker Cyprian Kachwale in tonight's matchup. The 21-year-old Tanzanian-born player, on loan from Whitecaps FC 2, appeared to suffer a concerning injury at the hands of Forge defender Antoine Batisse in the 36th minute. Kachwale found himself in a dangerous position at the top of the box, dribbling to his left with Tristian Borges draped on his back, when Batisse lunged forward late and caught the attacker on his ankle. Kachwale lay on the turf for several minutes and had to be helped off by teammates and the team's physio, putting little weight on his left foot. In what has looked like a revolving door at times for the Wanderers' starting number nine role, it had appeared that Kachwale had earned that spot and was looking increasingly comfortable in attack. The Wanderers will hope the injury is nothing serious and that Kachwale can return to the team sheet in the near future.
Brilliant performance from the Wanderers centre-backs
The entire back line of the Wanderers deserves praise for tonight's point against a very good Forge side, but it was the defensive duo of Finn Linder and Thomas Meilleur-Giguère who deserve most of the credit. They defended their box well, put their bodies on the line to make decisive blocks, and did well pushing the ball forward and creating quality chances for their teammates. Despite Forge generating 16 shots through 90 minutes, only four were on target, a rare stat line for a side that generally makes their opponents pay when given that many opportunities. If Halifax's back line can continue to perform at this standard for the rest of the season, Vanni Sartini's side could sneak into a play-off position and chase the North Star Cup that has evaded the Wanderers since the league's inception in 2019.
