Chattanooga Red Wolves SC came from behind to beat Charlotte Independence 4–2 on the road Saturday, with Aaron Lombardi's second-half brace turning the match on its head before late goals from Pedro Hernandez and Jordan Ayimbila sealed a convincing away victory.
Charlotte started brightly. Souaibou Marou opened the scoring in the 13th minute, finishing off a Joseph Skinner assist to give the Independence an early lead. The hosts controlled much of the first half, though Prince Saydee picked up a yellow card in the 37th minute.
The complexion of the game shifted after the break. Lombardi equalized in the 51st minute, converting from a Pedro Hernandez delivery, then struck again eleven minutes later — this time set up by Omar Hernandez — to put the Red Wolves ahead 2–1.
Charlotte responded quickly. Skinner, the provider for the opening goal, turned scorer in the 66th minute, heading home from a Mathis Guffroy assist to level the contest at 2–2. Eric Kinzner was booked for Chattanooga two minutes later as tensions rose.
But the Red Wolves had the final word. Hernandez, who had earlier assisted Lombardi's equalizer, got on the scoresheet himself in the 88th minute, finishing from an Omar Gómez pass to restore Chattanooga's lead. Ayimbila then added a fourth deep in stoppage time, again supplied by Gómez, to put the result beyond any doubt.
Gómez's two assists in the closing minutes proved decisive, while Lombardi's double provided the platform for a statement road win that strengthens Chattanooga's position in the USL League One standings.
USL League One