The Cavalry extended its unbeaten run to seven games to go top of the table in the Canadian Premier League.
Dominique Malonga scored twice, Julian Büscher hit a screamer free-kick and Cavalry FC overpowered the visiting York9 by a 3-1 count Wednesday night at Spruce Meadows' ATCO Field to vault the Cavs (4-0-3) into top spot in the CPL's fall season.
"We were magnificent tonight weren't we," said Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. "That's what I was saying, give us time on the grass, when we've got to have a look at a few things, work on some rhythms. It should have been about 15 to 1. We'll take the three points.
"We want to win the fall season so in order to do that we've got to keep putting on performances like that."
Now one week removed from its semifinal exit from the Canadian Championship, the CPL is seeing what the Cavalry, the spring champions, are capable of with all of its attention on league play.
"It was a great distraction, we wanted to go as deep as we could in the Canadian Championship and be a credit to the club and everybody around it," the coach added. "We had a great run, but now it's time to focus on the league.
"If we're going to be the best in the league we've got to win the games that matter."
Malonga, the 6-foot-1 targetman, brought the crowd out of its seats inside five minutes, converting a low cross from winger Nico Pasquotti into a tap-in for the striker's fifth league goal.
York9 drew even within 10 minutes.
Kyle Porter was given time and space for a clean header inside the box to direct past a helpless Marco Carducci in goal in the 15th minute.
More bad news for the home team saw leading scorer and focal point in central midfield Sergio Camargo limp off the field with an injury in his return to the lineup with Julian Büscher coming on as a substitute.
The German midfielder made an immediate impact of the bench.
Just moments before the end of the half Oliver Minatel drew a free kick on the edge of the box and Büscher stepped up and delivered a sublime curler of a second goal to restore the one-goal advantage in the 45th minute.
Six minutes after the break the hosts doubled the advantage.
Pasquotti picked out Malonga in the crowded box and the striker one-timed in his second of the night in the 51st minute.
Malonga had a third goal waved off due to offside and was turned aside on a diving save by York's Nathan Ingham in the late stages to prevent the first hat-trick in Cavalry history.
"They took away one," Malonga said. "I tried my best to help the team and I'm happy for the team because everybody knows we had a tough week. Everybody know what happened against Montreal and it affected a lot of people and we had just 24 hours to get ready to play against Edmonton, who are a very good team."
This marks the fourth victory in four meetings with York9 spanning both the spring and fall seasons.
Cavalry has allowed just two goals against in the season series, three of which have been held at Spruce Meadows.
Up next, it's a top of table clash in Hamilton versus the second place Forge FC on Aug. 25 at Tim Hortons Field.
"They're distracted now with Concacaf," Wheeldon Jr. said. "I know our boys are desperate to play and they're catching us at a good time, they're hungry."
The Cavs are back on home ground for an Aug. 28 contest versus Pacific FC. For more information go to cavalryfc.canpl.ca
