Forge defeated rivals Cavalry at home to close out week eight of the Canadian Premier League.
Antoine Batisse was at the end of Nimick's headed pass, heading home his third of the season to break the deadlock in a highly-contested affair.
Forge lined up in their usual 4-3-3, with Bobby Smyrniotis opting to start Tristan Borges in place of Noah Jensen. Dimitry Bertaud kept goal behind a back four of Marko Jevremovic, Antoine Batisse, Dan Nimick, and Rezart Rama, with Anthony Aromatario and Ben Paton joining Borges in midfield. Maxime Filion, Mo Babouli, and Hoce Massunda formed the front three from left to right.
Nathan Ingham started in goal for Cavalry, with Levi Laing deployed in an unfamiliar left-back role alongside Amer Didic, Daan Klomp, and Adam Pearlman at the back. Eryk Kobza and Harry Paton, brother of Forge's Ben Paton, formed the double pivot underneath Sergio Camargo, with Goteh Ntignee, Tobias Warschewski, and Jay Herdman leading the line.
A characteristically slow first half from both sides featured plenty of early intensity, with hard challenges flying in but few clear-cut chances created at either end. Anthony Aromatario received an early caution, while Eryk Kobza was booked shortly after for a heavy challenge. Forge controlled much of the opening 45 minutes, although Cavalry finished the half with a slight edge in possession. Tobias Warschewski struck the crossbar in the closing moments, but the teams went into the break level at 0-0.
The second half began with both sides remaining cautious in possession, as defensive mistakes were few and far between. Shortly after entering the match, Caniggia Elva sent two efforts narrowly wide of Dimitry Bertaud's goal. Bertaud then produced a fantastic save to deny Daan Klomp from close range and preserve his seventh clean sheet of the season.
A Forge corner in the 70th minute finally broke the deadlock. Dan Nimick created separation from Kobza and redirected the ball toward Antoine Batisse, who made no mistake in putting the Hammers in front. The Frenchman was influential all over the pitch throughout the match, and his winning goal was a well-deserved reward for his performance.
they want that first place spot back🤫🔥
— Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer) May 31, 2026
Forge strikes first at home with a header from Antoine Batisse#CPLSoccer | 📺: @onesoccer pic.twitter.com/7HuuzVwGDG
Searching for an equalizer, frustrations began to grow for Cavalry as Nathan Ingham and Goteh Ntignee were both booked in the final 20 minutes for avoidable fouls. The Cavs enjoyed a lengthy spell of sustained possession, but ultimately could not find a way through as the clock wound down.
The victory moves Forge back to the top of the CPL standings with a 6-1-1 record, while Cavalry drops to second at 5-2-1. The two sides will not meet again until Saturday, August 15, when Cavalry hosts the fixture for the first time in 2026.
Looking ahead, Forge will travel to York Lions Stadium on Sunday, June 7, when Inter Toronto hosts another edition of the 905 Derby. Meanwhile, Cavalry returns home to host the Wanderers on Saturday, June 6, as former captain Marco Carducci makes his highly anticipated return to ATCO Field.
