Omar Hernandez of Chattanooga Red Wolves SC scored the tying goal in the 91st minute, and the Portland Hearts of Pine settled for another frustrating draw, 1-1, in a USL League One match Saturday night in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Hearts of Pine were on the verge of a third straight win as they try to fight their way back into the playoff race, but instead they continued their season-long trend of allowing late goals.
With Chattanooga pressuring in the first minute of added time, the ball wound up at the feet of Hernandez in the middle of the penalty area. He quickly slipped a low left-footed shot to the left of Hearts keeper Hunter Morse.
The result left Portland seven points out of the eighth and final playoff spot with only five games remaining.
Hearts took the lead in the 39th minute when 19-year-old Brazilian Felipe Rodriguez-Gentile, an injury substitute for Ollie Wright, scored his first professional goal. Rodriguez-Gentile trapped a cross from Matteo Kidd and struck a left-footed shot into the upper left corner.
Morse made sure Portland took a 1-0 lead into halftime, coming up with a spectacular save in the final seconds of the half.
Hearts will be back home next Saturday, facing the Sarasota Paradise at Fitzpatrick Stadium.
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