Chattanooga Red Wolves claimed a 2-1 victory away at Fort Wayne in the USL League One Group Stage. The match ended on Friday night with the visitors holding their nerve after a frantic finish. To be fair, the scoreline reflected the flow of the second half more than the first.
Fort Wayne dominated the opening exchanges. R. Becher scored in the 30th minute and added a second in the 31st, putting the home side in command. The visitors struggled to cope with the intensity, and their defence looked disjointed. It was a period where Fort Wayne found a way through the gaps.
The visitors responded after the interval. Y. Lelin pulled one back for Chattanooga in the 49th minute, shifting the momentum. He was then substituted in the 70th minute, which surprised some observers. By then, the game had opened up, and both sides were looking for a winner.
Chattanooga sealed the points late in the game. G. Mercer scored in the 82nd minute, and a second goal followed in the 83rd without a scorer named. The hosts made several changes, bringing on J. Jordan and K. Gafar in the 69th minute, but they could not break down the visitors. The final whistle brought an end to the contest.
The numbers tell a clear story of the match. Fort Wayne had 0.7 possession and 128 attacks, yet only managed five shots on target. Chattanooga, with 0.3 possession, were second to everything in possession but efficient in front of goal. They registered two shots on target and scored twice.
Chattanooga remain in seventh place with 38 points, while Fort Wayne sit in eighth with 23 points. The hosts have lost three of their last five matches. For the visitors, the win was a necessary one.