OTTAWA – Ottawa Fury FC’s first goal at TD Place of the 2017 season couldn’t have arrived at a better time for the club, or for midfielder Ryan Williams.

With the rare opportunity to play with family on hand, the English midfielder’s tally in the 89th minute lifted Fury FC to a 1-0 victory against FC Edmonton in the first leg of the Canadian Championship Preliminary Round series between the clubs.

“It was nice to score,” said Williams. “When your family comes to watch you, it's always a nice occasion. My mom hasn't seen me play for two years, so to get a goal here tonight was very special.”

Williams’ late tally gave Fury FC a lead to defend as it heads to Edmonton next Wednesday for the conclusion of the two-legged series, with the winner set to face Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC in the Semifinals. 

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That Williams’ tally was the lone goal of the game was testament to Canadian international goalkeeper Callum Irving’s performance in net for the hosts. The Fury FC goalkeeper made three massive saves to keep the game scoreless, one late in the first half to deny Dean Shiels, and then an outstanding double-save that kept both Tomi Ameobi and Allan Zebie from opening the scoring just before the hour-mark.

“Coming into this game we knew it was going to be a battle,” said Irving. “There is a lot of pride on the line and a lot at stake between these two teams. I think both teams came into it ready to fight for the first leg, but I'm really proud and happy that we were able to turn that battle into a huge 1-0 win.”

Irving’s performance set the stage for a final half-hour that saw Fury FC hold the upper hand, but unable to find a way through Edmonton’s defense. The continued patience in build-up Ottawa showed paid off with a minute to go, however, as Andrae Campbell’s cross from the left was met simultaneously by Fury FC forward Tucker Hume and FC Edmonton goalkeeper Tyson Farago. The ball sprang loose to Williams, who calmly finished from near the penalty spot to give Fury FC the edge at the halfway point of the series.

"Football means something to us and it certainly means something for the players to play in the Canadian Championship,” said Fury FC Head Coach Paul Dalglish. “I thought you saw two teams that really wanted to win and hungry to play. I thought that we controlled the game and we deserved the win tonight. It's a good result for us, almost ideal as we wanted to keep a clean sheet and get a win.”