CF Montreal pours it on late

Wanderers fall 3-1 in hard-fought quarters

The HFX Wanderers put up a valiant effort in front of record-setting crowd in Wednesday's Canadian Championship quarter-final against CF Montreal.

But the Major League Soccer side, who controlled much of the play in the historic match, capitalized when it mattered.

Ballou Tabla scored in the 89th minute to snap a 1-1 deadlock and then added another in penalty time as Montreal escaped with a 3-1 victory. Montreal advances to the Canadian Championship semifinal against Forge FC, the defending Canadian Premier League champion.

The Wanderers opened the scoring in the first half on a brilliant individual effort from Cory Bent.

The diminutive striker and former Cape Breton Capers star intercepted a Montreal clearing at midfield, found an opening and from outside the penalty box fired a perfect strike into the top left corner for a 1-0 Wanderers lead in the 27th minute, sending the pro-halifax sellout crowd into bedlam.

The match set a new Wanderers attendance record with 6,413 fans. It marked the first time the Wanderers Grounds hosted a Major League Soccer club.

The lead was short-lived though. Montreal finally capitalized as Matko Miljevic — who moments earlier was handed a yellow card following a nasty collision with Jeremy Gagnon-lapare — finished some nifty ball movement and pulled his team even in the 35th minute.

Montreal held a 21-2 shot advantage in the match and outpaced the Wanderers in possession (nearly 67 per cent).

The Wanderers return to the pitch this Saturday afternoon for a Canadian Premier League matchup at home against FC Edmonton.