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On a night full of missed opportunities, a failed field goal attempt turned Chad Kelly’s season debut into a victory.

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Lirim Hajrullahu’s single on the final play of the game gave Toronto a wild 20-19 victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Thursday night. Hajrullahu missed his first four attempts from 40 yards out, but the ensuing single gave the Argos (6-4) their fifth home win in six games.

“I was very nervous in the first game after returning, but we won,” said Kelly. “A win is of course a win.”

“It was one point (Hajrullahu’s single), but it’s a huge win against coach Mace (Saskatchewan head coach Corey Mace), who knows all these players, he knows what we’re good at and what we’re not good at.”

Mace is in his first season as Saskatchewan’s head coach after serving as Toronto’s defensive coordinator (2022-23).

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Kelly, 30, made his first appearance since being conditionally reinstated by the CFL on Sunday. The league suspended Kelly on May 7 for Toronto’s two tryouts and at least the first nine games of the regular season for violating its gender-based violence policy.

It followed an independent investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former Argos strength and conditioning coach against Kelly for sexual harassment and against the team for wrongful termination. The lawsuit was settled through mediation in June.

A crowd of 19,327 was present at BMO Field as the Canadian National Exhibition was in full swing. The crowd – the largest in Toronto since the first game here, which drew 24,812 – gave Kelly a warm round of applause as he was introduced.

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Kelly, the CFL’s best player last season, was playing his first game since Toronto’s 38-17 East Division final loss to Montreal last November. He showed clear rust, completing 24 of 39 passes for 322 yards and throwing an interception as the Argos lost the ball three times on a drive at the Saskatchewan goal line in that game.

Saskatchewan recovered the ball at its eight-yard line, but punted from its one-yard line after a sack and an incomplete pass with 26 seconds left. Janarion Grant’s 12-yard return brought Toronto to the Riders’ 37-yard line with 16 seconds left.

“I thought Chad saw the field and did the things he needed to do,” Toronto head coach Ryan Dinwiddie said. “We really couldn’t expect a great performance from him because we made too many mistakes.”

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“Offensively, we have to be better next week. We go to Hamilton, we go into the hornet’s nest, we have to find a way to win the ball a little cleaner.”

Another missed opportunity for Toronto came on a flea flicker from Saskatchewan’s 23-yard line in the third quarter. But Makai Polk had to slow down for Kelly’s fluttering pass, allowing Riders defenders to intercept it and force Hajrullahu into a 30-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, bringing the Argos within 16-13.

Aided by Grant’s 48-yard punt return and a facemask penalty from the Riders, Toronto stormed to the Saskatchewan one-yard line. But after Kelly was stopped on two consecutive running plays, the Argos lost the ball a third time when Ka’Deem Carey was held out of the end zone.

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Hajrullahu increased the lead to 16-16 with a 25-yard field goal at 9:54. But Brett Lauther countered with a 36-yard kick and gave Saskatchewan a 19-16 lead at 12:55 before Hajrullahu increased the lead to 19-19 with a 50-yard field goal at 13:58.

Saskatchewan (5-5-1) suffered a second straight loss and extended its winless streak to five games (0-4-1). Starter Trevor Harris completed 18 of 29 passes for 190 yards, scored one touchdown and had two interceptions.

“It’s just tough,” Mace said. “We’re finding new ways to finish the game like that and that just makes me feel bad for the guys.”

“We need to become a team that can finish games like this. We’ve been through enough of them now, so we should know how to do it.”

KeeSean Johnson scored Saskatchewan’s touchdown. Lauther kicked the conversion and four field goals.

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Cameron Dukes scored Toronto’s touchdown. Hajrullahu scored the convert and four field goals and a single.

Lauther scored from 40 yards out at 7:32 of the third inning to give Saskatchewan a 16-10 lead. Toronto drove to the Riders’ two-yard line, but after Deonta McMahon was stopped for no gain on second down, the Argos lost the game due to Kelly’s incomplete pass.

Hajrullahu’s 36-yard field goal at 14:33 of the second quarter cut Saskatchewan’s halftime lead to 13-10, but it also capped off a wild quarter.

After Saskatchewan linebacker CJ Reavis stopped Dukes on third down, the Riders recovered the ball at their one-yard line with 50 seconds left. But Benjie Franklin intercepted Harris, putting Toronto at Saskatchewan’s 24-yard line with 44 seconds left.

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Kelly appeared to find Damonte Coxie on a 29-yard touchdown pass, but after a command review, the pass was ruled incomplete. Toronto unsuccessfully challenged the decision, citing pass interference, and had to settle for the field goal.

And that made Dinwiddie shake his head.

“I don’t know why we have a command center,” he said. “What does it do?

“It slows down the games. I don’t want to get fined, I’ll just leave it at that.”

Dukes cut the lead to 13-7 for Toronto with a one-yard touchdown run at 8:58 minutes. The lead was set up by a 25-yard interception return by DaShaun Amos.

Lauther’s second 43-yard field goal at 6:12 gave Saskatchewan a 13-0 lead.

Harris capped a seven-play, 69-yard march with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Johnson at 13:04 of the first period to give Saskatchewan a 10-0 lead. Lauther opened the scoring with a 43-yard pass at 7:48.

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