HFX Wanderers topple Forge FC 2-1 thanks to Nimick penalty

Halifax claim their third home victory in a row to continue march up the table

The atmosphere was electric all night long at the Wanderers Grounds, no more so than when the Wanderers were rewarded a late penalty in injury time.

To put it mildly, referee Marie-Soleil Beaudoin's call was controversial and a good five minutes elapsed between the call and when Halifax Wanderers centreback Daniel Nimick stepped up to the ball with the game on the line.

And he made no mistake, slotting the ball into the right side of the net while Forge keeper Triston Henry leapt left across his goalmouth to make it 2-1 for the Wanderers.

"With a last minute penalty like that, you know the other team is going to do their best to throw you off," said Nimick post-match. "I just kept to my own thoughts, blocked everyone out and when it was time to step up, luckily Triston (Henry) went the wrong way and I was able to put it into the back of the net."

The last minute penalty goal (90'+10) sent the 6,145 Halifax fans into a frenzy as the Wanderers collected three points and beat Forge for the first time this season.

Speaking post-match, Forge head coach Bobby Smyrniotis said he disagreed with the call on the field.

"It's a tough one to comment on because we just watched in the locker room the play for the penalty and there's no contact. Referees let the play go on and obviously, you don't see that there's contact or you whistle it," said Smyrniotis when asked about his squad's performance by reporters.

He also fielded questions about VAR but ultimately said it comes down to referees making the right calls in key moments.

"We can talk about the game all we want but you can see how one little decision that has nothing to do with the two teams and what they have gone and done on the field here changes everything in the end," he said.

Forge captain Kyle Bekker, who tied the score off a howitzer shot in the 88th minute, agreed with his head coach on the penalty call but said the club can't put themselves in that situation.

"It's not good enough," he said of Forge's performance.

Having said that, Forge pushed the Wanderers hard at several points throughout the night, registering a total of 16 shots to keep Wanderers goaltender Yann Fillion on his toes. The Wanderers had nine shots, two of which found the back of the net.

Forge came out with energy early but head coach Patrice Gheisar's squad held strong and started to play their game around 15 minutes in.

Nimick was integral in the Wanderers' first goal as he sent a nearly 60 foot diagonal from just outside his own 18-yard box to a streaking Massimo Ferrin.

Ferrin was able to collect the ball in stride and cut towards the middle of the pitch while fending off a Forge defender and smacked the ball hard and low to the right side to beat Henry for his third goal in all competitions.

Speaking post-match, Gheisar said he was proud of his squad's resiliency and all they've learned this season.

“Listen, I can’t pretend that it doesn’t give me a little bit of a heart problem, because Lorenzo and Mo were doing give-and-gos in our six-yard box, but it is the style we want to play,” said Gheisar. “That seventh or eighth game when we were having good performances but not maybe the results that we wanted, the one thing we stressed to the guys was that we are not changing, we are not going away from our philosophy. This will only get better, believe in it, and we just have got to get behind it.”

With the win, the Wanderers have now won three straight at the Wanderers Grounds and are unbeaten in their last four. They currently sit fourth on the table with 16 points.

Their next game is against Vancouver FC on July 7.

From the Notebook:

1. What a match, what a match, what a match. There's almost too many threads to follow as this win is the culmination of so many lessons the Wanderers have learned this season. To take you behind the scenes of the wonderful world of reporting, journalists start writing their pieces before the match is done, neatly weaving together storylines in the anticipation of the expected outcome. I had already written a swath of text about Ferrin, defending the lead and Fillion's brilliance. Well, myself and the rest of the press box had to shred our drafts a few times as the Wanderers conceded late and then earned themselves a penalty kick in extra time. The atmosphere, from beginning to end, was that of a playoff game and Nimick's ice-cold, clinical finish was the dramatic ending to a fantastic evening of football. Obviously, it is quite the accomplishment to topple mighty Forge but sometimes, the difference between a win and a loss is marginal at best.
2. A note on the penalty: I think it was the right call but I understand why Forge is upset by the decision. Firstly, they are mad at themselves for allowing Riley Ferrazzo to coral that ball in such a dangerous area (also, let's take a moment to re-watch Lorenzo Callegari's perfect, and I mean perfect, lofted through ball into the box). After Henry challenges Ferrazzo, play isn't called dead and Halifax has the opportunity to score. Callum Watson ends up taking a shot which is blocked by a Forge defender. Then, after play has continued, referee Beaudoin winds it back and awards the Wanderers their penalty. Nimick does his bit and all of a sudden, Forge are boarding a plane with no points after a good performance. If the roles were reversed, the Wanderers would be equally as bitter.
3. Refereeing is something I've touched on before, both here and as a guest for the Wanderer Grounds podcast. Smyrniotis side stepped questions about VAR and I haven't really heard any coach come out and say specifically what needs to change to avoid the mistakes that are being made. As you may recall, Gheisar was extremely disappointed by a penalty call against Cavalry some weeks back which delayed his first professional win. Speaking post-match, Gheisar essentially said some days, the calls go your way and it'll even out over the long run. While there may be truth to his words, it seems like every week we're talking about the officiating as much as the goals. I plan to look into this more and am currently in touch with Canada Soccer to write a piece or two.
4. To the players, eh? Tactically, it was a bit of a surprise to see Wesley TImoteo tucked in at left-back. However, with both Ryan James and Jake Ruby unavailable, Gheisar had to get creative. We’ve primarily seen Timoteo as a left winger, with a little bit of time on the right and in midfield. He looked shaky to start the match, making a few unforced errors which could have cost Halifax but he persevered to find his form. I thought he looked more confident as the match went on and his movement was good. By the time the second half rolled around, he was winning ball battles in the box and even outmuscled Pacius in the 57th minute to earn a goal kick. He got involved upfield too, making some deft passes. Timoteo would end up taking a knock and was subbed off in the 75th minute but his willingness to step up and play an unfamiliar position was lauded by the coaching staff. "Wesley is an elite player and to be honest, I think that he's probably deserved more minutes than he's received so far," said Gheisar when asked about his makeshift left-back. "We were trying to find a way to get Wesley on the field and we did that."
5. Massimo Ferrin needed a goal and the football Gods delivered via a perfect Nimick diagonal which sent him off to the races. His finish had teeth, a real missile to the bottom right corner but his first touch was exceptional. He took that ball at full speed, on wet grass, and hardly missed a beat. Looking back, Ferrin has been good but in a bit of a scoring funk since he came back from injury. In fact,  Gheisar has said multiple times post-match that he’s been plain unlucky. For him to get a goal, at home, will do immeasurable good for his confidence as he navigates the highs and lows of his first professional season. I thought he looked the Wanderers most dangerous player early in the season so it was nice to see him get back on track.
6. Fillion was playing a lot more long balls. And by a lot, I mean he had double (15) the attempted amount at halftime this match than he did for the whole York United game (7). Now, I’ve always believed that you keep your opponents honest by mixing slow build ups with vertical play. However, facing Forge’s high press, Fillion decided to go long more often to avoid the likes of Campbell and Pacius. The verticality forced Forge to back off a bit, lest they get caught upfield. It was important to see that adaptation from Gheisar and his staff as they loathe giving the ball away and prefer to start plays at the feet of their backline almost every time. Passing aside, I thought Fillion again looked solid in net and kept a level head amidst Forge’s pressure. There was nothing he could have done to stop Kyle Bekker’s 88th minute goal; that’s just a great shot. Fillion’s as cool as they come.
7. Rapid fire on a few players. The towering Nimick - Loughrey pairing continues to deliver as they complement each other so well. Zachary Fernandez was his usual self, which is to say chasing down long balls on the wing and generally being a pain in the arse to play against. I though Aidan Daniels and Mo Omar were quiet but steady. Both Tomas Giraldo and Tiago Coimbra impressed again, so hopefully Giraldo's injury isn't too serious. Callegari was his most wily-self, registering 75 touches and dancing with the ball at his feet. I think it got to the point where Forge players were afraid to challenge him in fear of being made to look the fool.
8. Which brings us to Daniel Nimick, who had a sublime performance in every regard. He was credited with the assist on Ferrin's goal, scored the PK and was a rock defensively. I've had the chance to interview him before and spoke to him again last night (I had the pleasure of again joining the Wanderer Grounds podcast, which you can listen to here) and am as blown away by his humbleness and composure off the pitch as I am by his decisiveness on the pitch. He's the first to praise his teammates, is unassuming and generally a pleasure to chat with. The Wanderers found an absolute gem when they signed him. So enjoy him while you can, Wanderers fans. I've got a hunch it won't be long before some club from the MLS or beyond comes knocking.

Cover Photo Credit: Trevor MacMillan / Halifax Wanderers FC