Wearing the whites at home pays off

FC Edmonton finally scored on their home pitch on Wednesday night, their first Canadian Premier League soccer goal at Clarke Field after tallying five times on the road. Of course, they trotted out their road white kits rather than their normal blue tops, so maybe it was the haberdashery change rather than the gods finally smiling on them as they beat visiting Forge FC of Hamilton 1-0 to improve to 3-4-2 in the CPL standings.

“Had nothing to do with us ( jersey switch), it was a league request and I’m not sure why the whites ... I know I had promised the boys we would never wear white jerseys at home. And we won’t next game (on Canada Day against HFX Wanderers),” said coach Jeff Paulus.

“I know I shaved in Victoria last game (3-1 win over Pacific), so I’m going to keep shaving, maybe that’s it,” said a laughing Paulus, whose CPL club has won two straight after going 587 minutes (home and away) without beating a keeper.

On a night that started dark and stormy, with a downpour and cracks of lightning in the skies, you couldn’t wipe away the sunny countenance of the home side when Oumar Diouck, the Senegalese-born, Belgian-trained forward slipped one past Forge keeper Triston Henry in the 16th minute. You’re supposed to act like you’ve been there before, but they haven’t, so … there was a huge celebration.

Diouck finished off a cross into the box by Jeannot Esua on Ontario-born goalie Henry. FC Edmonton had scored a consolation goal late in the Canadian championship game against York9 here, but this was their first home goal in a real, live league match.

Diouck almost ripped it right through the keeper.

“We try it in training and we put it (ball) into the box and it’s one touch and in,” said Diouck. “You just need a bit of luck ... I’m very happy.”

Diouck also scored in the 3-1 victory on Vancouver Island last week, so maybe things are turning around for FC Edmonton. That’s four goals in two games.

“The feeling is a lot different, we’re playing as a team, a family,” said Diouck. “If we keep it like this, the wins and the goals will follow.”

So about those white jerseys from a player standpoint?

“I’d like to wear them again on Monday,” Diouck said.

It could have been 2-nil in the first half, but a goal by Yongchan Son in the 41st minute was wiped out because Diouck was offside. Forge goalie Henry immediately ran over to the assistant referee to complain.

The Eddies, who had lost 2-0 to Forge in Hamilton in the first meeting between the teams at Tim Hortons Field, had one firsthalf scare in the 37th minute when midfielder Kyle Becker ripped one from 25 yards out that goalie Connor James had to dive and get his arm on to preserve the lead.

“We did a lot of good things, creating enough opportunities that, on a lot of days, we score a couple of goals,” said Forge coach Bobby Smymiotis.

Corner kicks: Son left the game in the 64th minute, unable to put any weight on his right leg after a ball challenge. FC Edmonton also lost Amer Didic, but James Marcelin came in and did a terrific job in his place ... Easton Ongaro, a 6-foot-6 striker, took Yongshan’s spot on outside ... The Forge came into the game in second place in the CPL with a 6-2-1 record …