Chattanooga Red Wolves SC ground out a 0–1 victory at Westchester SC on Wednesday night, with Omar Hernandez's 35th-minute strike proving the difference in a bad-tempered USL League One clash.
The match was fractious from the start. Westchester's Maximus Jennings picked up the game's first yellow card in the 15th minute, and Chattanooga's Dyson Clapier followed him into the book seven minutes later. Angelo Kelly-Rosales was also cautioned in the 25th minute as the referee struggled to keep a lid on proceedings.
Clapier, undeterred by his earlier booking, then delivered the decisive moment. His pass found Hernandez in the 35th minute, and the forward made no mistake to put the Red Wolves ahead going into the break.
Westchester came out pressing for an equalizer in the second half but found themselves repeatedly on the wrong side of the official. Bobby Pierre was booked in the 49th minute, Timofey Timchenko in the 60th, and Daniel Bouman in the 68th — four yellow cards for the hosts in total. The mounting card count reflected Westchester's growing frustration as they chased the game without creating enough to trouble Chattanooga's defense.
The Red Wolves managed the closing stages comfortably, content to sit deep and absorb pressure. Eric Kinzner picked up a late booking deep in stoppage time, but by then the points were all but sealed.
Seven yellow cards across the 90 minutes told the story of a scrappy, combative affair that Chattanooga navigated with greater composure. The away win bolsters the Red Wolves' position as they push through the final stretch of the regular season.
USL League One