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Atlético Ottawa vs Halifax Wanderers August 17, 2022 PHOTO: Matt Zambonin/Freestyle Photography/CPL
RECAP: Atlético Ottawa beat HFX Wanderers 3-2 after chaotic stoppage time period
August 17, 2022
Canadian Premier League

Not one but two goals were scored in stoppage time at TD Place in Ottawa on Wednesday night. First, the visiting HFX Wanderers equalized from the penalty spot before Atlético Ottawa won the match seconds later on a goal initially called back for offside, the home team came away with a dramatic 3-2 victory.

The visitors wasted no time in this match, putting the ball into the back of the net just three minutes in, but the assistant referee raised their flag for an offside that was marginal at best, and the Wanderers’ early goal was disallowed. Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé and Obeng Tabi combined well on the left flank before Gagnon-Laparé slid the ball through for Samb.

Samb took a touch before passing the ball laterally to Pierre Lamothe, whose shot took a deflection before striking the bottom of the crossbar and going into the back of the net, but the pass forward to Samb was judged to be offside.

Although that one wouldn’t count, HFX was relentless over the next little while, not even letting Ottawa get the ball out of their own half of the pitch. Wave after wave of Haligonian attackers were putting pressure on Ottawa’s defenders, and Tabi on the left in particular was heavily involved in the early going.

Peter Schaale nearly gave HFX the lead in the 10th minute, firing a hard, low shot from well outside the box within inches of Sean Melvin’s post.

Ottawa slowly but surely built up some momentum and started to create some opportunities for themselves in attack, with Ballou Tabla and Drew Beckie (twice) all getting shots away within a few minutes of Schaale’s long distance effort. Tabla’s shot — Ottawa’s first of the match, and first on target, forced Christian Oxner to make a save, but nothing would come from the resulting corner.

It would be Keven Aleman who finally opened the scoring for the home team in the 21st minute, although he probably didn’t intend to.

Receiving the ball from Maxim Tissot along the left sideline, Aleman looked up to try and spot the run of a teammate to cross it to, but the left-footed ball into the box instead curled outwards, catching Christian Oxner off-guard sailing into the back of the net to the surprise of everyone, seemingly including Aleman himself.

That would be the only goal in the opening 45 minutes, despite both teams coming close on a few occasions.

Other than the disallowed goal early on, the Wanderers’ best chance in the first half was a volley from Samb a few minutes before the break, as he watched the ball pass over him, before he hit it first time, but his shot hit the side netting.

It didn’t take long for Ottawa to double their lead once play resumed, as the home side made it 2-0 less than six minutes in. After a handful of accurate passes were strung together in midfield, the ball was played down the right flank for Brian Wright, who curled a perfectly weighted pass along the ground to the back post.

There, it was met by the charging Max Tissot, who smashed it past Oxner from close range.

That woke up the Wanderers a little bit, and they responded with a goal of their own a few minutes later.

Aidan Daniels played the ball forward on his right side to Zachary Fernandez, played the ball on the ground back along the box. It fell to the feet of Lamothe, who placed the ball into the bottom left corner, bringing the visitors within one.

It was redemption for the 24-year-old after his earlier goal was called back for an offside in the buildup.

The two teams traded chances for the next little while, with the visitors holding a lot of the possession as Ottawa sat deeper and switched their focus to protecting their own net.

Second half substitute Lifumpa Mwandwe, as he has done throughout his short tenure in the CPL thus far, gave the Wanderers a spark off the bench, and fired a couple of promising shots at Sean Melvin. The Ottawa goalkeeper was equal to them, however.

Mwandwe won Halifax a penalty in stoppage time — the fourth he’s won in just five matches with the club — after being fouled by Macdonald Niba. Sam Salter converted it, and the Wanderers thought they had earned themselves a point, but it was not to be.

Remarkably, Ottawa instantly went back the other way and scored the winning goal in stoppage time. Marching down the pitch in the same way they did on Max Tissot’s goal, Carl Haworth fired the ball to the back post, where it was met by Ivan Pérez, who redirected it past Christian Oxner.

Haworth was initially called offside by the assistant referee, but after the referees consulted with each other, the call was reversed and the goal stood after all — much to the disapproval of the exasperated Wanderers squad.

Ottawa was able to hang on for the final moments of the match, picking up a dramatic 3-2 victory after a chaotic final few minutes.

BOX SCORE

Goals

21′ — Keven Aleman (Atlético Ottawa)

51′ — Maxim Tissot (Atlético Ottawa)

58′ — Pierre Lamothe (HFX Wanderers)

90+1′ — Samuel Salter (HFX Wanderers) — penalty

90+1′ — Ivan Perez (Atlético Ottawa)

Discipline

25′ — Yellow: Diego Espejo (Atlético Ottawa)

47′ — Yellow: Obeng Tabi (HFX Wanderers)

62′ — Yellow: Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé (HFX Wanderers)