RECAP | Eddies 2, Indy 0

FC Edmonton would continue to stay in the conversation for a spot in The Championship, the NASL’s four-team postseason tournament, against Indy Eleven, using second half goals by Daryl Fordyce and Sainey Nyassi to post an efficient 2-0 win in front of 9,84 fans at Carroll Stadium. FC Edmonton goalkeeper Matt VanOekel would make three saves on the evening to post his sixth shutout of the season in the huge road win for the Eddies.

Indy Eleven forward Dane Richards would shoot out of the gate with the game’s first good look just 35 seconds in after getting put into the area on a counter by running mate Wojciech Wojcik, but the Jamaican would push his chance wide of the far left post.

It would be nothing but half chances for either side for the next half hour until the 32nd minute, when Edmonton midfielder Pablo Cruz got past Indy’s high back line. After drawing Indy Eleven ‘keeper Kristian Nicht off his line Cruz squared for a wide open Dustin Corea, who had trouble adjusting to the bouncing ball and sent a weak attempt goalbound, allowing Nicht to recover and paw it away for a corner kick.

Cruz created the only other truly dangerous chance for the rest of the half when he crossed into the heart of the area off a short corner in the 44th minute, but captain Albert Watson would push his header from 10 yards out just wide left.

It would be Edmonton moving the scoreboard in the first ten minutes into the second half through striker Daryl Fordyce, who accepted Lance Laing’s cross from the left flank with one touch at the top of the six before going five-hole on Nicht to give the Eddies the 1-0 advantage.

Indy would be the aggressor from there on out, as FC Edmonton looked content to absorb its slim advantage. The visitors would do just that, limiting Indy’s chances to loose balls on corner kicks, as midfielder Dragan Stojkov’s low chance from 10 yards out in the 58th minute was grabbed by VanOekel and defender Cory Miller’s crashing redirect from near the six-yard box in the 77th flashed wide of the far right post.

FC Edmonton would double its advantage through a pair of substitutes in the 85th minute, when Ritchie Jones nudged a square ball to the top of the arc for Sainey Nyassi, who finished hard and low past a stranded Nicht to put the score at its final, 2-0, margin.  Nyassi could have very well had a second in the final minutes of regulation with Jonke put him behind the Indy back line with a splendid diagonal through ball, but the Gambian midfielder pushed his attempt wide past an advancing Nicht.