By Jake Courtepatte

After a little patience, and a lot of effort, the monkey is finally off of the back of York9 FC.

The Canadian Premier League posted their first-ever league win on Saturday against Vancouver's Pacific FC, in their sixth try. Both sides entered the contest desperate for a win, with just one combined in the first CPL season.

“The boys put a great shift in today,” said York9 FC head coach Jim Brennan. “We knew what was at stake; this was a game that we had to win, and we came away with the three points.”

Though the squad has found success in the Canadian Championship schedule, playing their way to the second round of the nation's most prestigious tournament, success at the CPL level has proven difficult to find: York9 posted a pair of losses and three draws before finding their first three-point effort, which came in the form of a tight 1 – 0 win.

Brennan praised a change in formation, led by fullbacks Morey Doner and Diyaeddine Abzi, as the cogs in the wheel of success.

 “I call them three-lungs,” Brennan said. “Because they keep going and going and going, these boys, up and down that line.”

Goalkeeper Nathan Ingham, who picked up the clean sheet, seconded Brennan's thoughts, saying the two took to the new lineup “like ducks to water.”

It was Ingham who deserved much of the praise however, when a handball inside the box in just the seventh minute meant a Pacific FC penalty kick. Ingham kept the ball out to keep the game at a scoreless draw.

In the 36th minute, an own goal provided by Pacific FC's Ryan McCurdy proved to be the only tally of the match.

“It's always fun to be a part of a winning locker room,” Ingham said. “It was tough, but we had a lot of experience in our room.”

As an added bonus, the win came in front of the club's home fans at York Lions Stadium, providing the dedicated base with a much deserved three points.

“Football without fans is just a workout, the fans mean a lot to me,” said Ingham. “When we got back from the Dominican, they're waiting for us at the airport. They traveled in thousands to Hamilton for our home opener, and they've had to battle conditions every time we've played at home so far.”

The win vaults York 9 FC into fifth place in the seven-team league, going ahead of both Pacific FC and FC Edmonton. Next up is a meeting with FC Edmonton Wednesday night following press time, while a home game is on the horizon on Saturday in hosting Halifax Wanderers FC at York Lions Stadium, with a kickoff set for 3:30 p.m.