Valour FC got back into the win column on Sunday as Austin Ricci's lovely curled strike from distance early in the second half stood as the lone goal in a 1-0 victory over Forge FC at IG Field. Valour fielded a strong starting XI as Rob Gale turned back to Jonathan Sirois in goal after giving the youngster the night off on Wednesday in the 2-1 loss to York United. Mexican defender Rodrigo Reyes was in the squad for the first time this season but settled for a substitute spot on the bench. Bobby Smyrniotis opted to give some veterans a well earned rest as Kyle Bekker and keeper Triston Henry came out the starting lineup for Forge with Chris Nanco assuming captain duties while 2019 MVP Tristan Borges and defender Daniel Krutzen were left out of the squad entirely as the pair continues to nurse injuries — Joshua Navarro was in the Hammers matchday squad for the first time as well. Both sides failed to really take hold of the match in the earlygoings as duels won, passes completed and possession numbers were almost all a dead even split at the half time whistle. Forge did look the more likely of the two sides to score, with their best chance coming in the 13th minute as Mo Babouli struck the post with a tame effort before Chris Nanco looked destined to make it 1-0 on the rebound only to be denied on the goal line by the head of defender Andrew Jean-Baptiste. It was the home team that started the second half on the front foot as Valour showed more purpose in the attack in the first 10 minutes after the break before Ricci provided some end product for their positive play in the 56th minute, letting go a strike from outside the box labeled for the top corner which beat a hopeless Baj Maan in the Forge net. Smyrniotis would turn to his skipper to come in off the bench as Bekker replaced Nanco moments after the Ricci opener in hopes of kickstarting the Forge comeback with Navarro also checking in for his Hammers debut. Ultimately, Gale's group would keep Forge at bay for the final half hour as the visitors managed just one shot on target in the closing half — Reyes would also make his Valour debut, coming on to help secure all three points for his side. BOX SCORE Goals 56' — Austin Ricci (Valour FC) Discipline 45‎+‎2‎' — Paolo Sabak (Forge FC) 87' — Federico Peña (Valour FC) 90' — Kyle Bekker (Forge FC) 90+3' — Joshua Navarro (Forge FC)

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