Pacific FC鈥檚 first Canadian Premier League road game in franchise history had barely started before it was basically over.
Anthony Novak struck at three minutes and Emery Welshman at 14 minutes as Forge FC of Hamilton (1-1-1) took a 2-0 lead, which held into the break, before 5,861 fans at Tim Hortons Field on Wednesday en route to the first victory in franchise history.
There was to be no Liverpool-type rally on this night for Langford-based Pacific FC. The final scoreline was 3-0 and dropped PFC to 1-2.
鈥淲e started a little bit on the back foot and tried to get to the front foot. By the time we got there, it was too late,鈥� Pacific FC head coach Michael Silberbauer told reporters following the game.
A post hit by Terran Campbell at 20 minutes and another close chance by Pacific FC late in the first half on a header that sailed just wide, by sa国际传媒-capped Issey Nakajima-Farran, might have turned the tide but it was not to be on this night for the visitors in the Steel City.
鈥淲e still tried and still created chances,鈥� said Silberbauer.
鈥淲e could have scored a goal that could have made it exciting. But we lost the game already in the first [14] minutes.鈥�
Giuliano Franco put it away with a goal past Pacific goalkeeper Mark Village at 70 minutes.
Nakajima-Farran led Pacific FC offensively with three shots toward goal, but PFC finished with only two shots on target as Quillan Roberts recorded the clean sheet.
Pacific FC was missing its two key players at both ends of the field as injury woes are looking to mess with the season just three games in. Missing was sa国际传媒-capped striker Marcus Haber, out with a foot issue, and import-defender Hendrik Starostik from Germany, the latter out for the second consecutive game.
Former Montreal Impact MLS midfielder David Choiniere, who artfully assisted on Welshman鈥檚 goal with a long lead pass, controlled the middle of the field and was named man of the match for Forge FC. Noah Verhoeven was the pick from the losing side.
The task on the road doesn鈥檛 get any easier for Pacific FC, which now flies west for the opening CPL home game in FC Edmonton history on Sunday at Clarke Stadium.
