Although the Chattanooga Red Wolves will finish no higher than ninth in USL League One’s final standings this year, interim head coach Scott MacKenzie has been getting the most out of his club down the final stretch of the regular season.
The Red Wolves have scored at least three goals in four of their past six matches, including Saturday’s 3-1 victory over the Central Valley Fuego at CHI Memorial Stadium in East Ridge, where the hosts rallied by scoring all of their goals after halftime.
After scoring a season-high five goals in last week’s win at Lexington, the Red Wolves (8-16-6, 30 points) unleashed 19 shots and Mayele Malango scored the go-ahead goal in the 52nd minute. The 6-foot-1 forward scored for the second match in a row to help Chattanooga climb one spot to 10th in the 12-team league standings and one point behind Lexington with two games remaining.
After Jose Carrera-Garcia’s penalty kick provided the visitors a 1-0 lead late in the first half, last-place Central Valley (5-20-5, 20 points) gift-wrapped the equalizer for the Red Wolves in the 50th minute with an own goal. Malango’s score was padded by Chevone Marsh’s goal in the 73rd minute for the final margin.
MacKenzie is 5-5-1 since taking over the club on Aug. 5.
With four wins over its past six matches, Chattanooga is on its hottest streak of the season with one final home game to play, at 7:30 p.m. next Saturday against the Greenville Triumph before closing the season on the road against the Northern Colorado Hailstorm on Oct. 15.
Greenville, fifth in the standings, is still in contention for one of the league’s six playoff berths, while Northern Colorado has already secured a spot in the postseason.
Compiled by Patrick MacCoon. Contact him at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.