ATLANTA — FC Cincinnati ended a long road skid Saturday, beating Atlanta United 3-1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium behind two goals from Kévin Denkey and a goal and two assists from Tom Barlow.
Denkey opened the scoring in the 52nd minute. Atlanta’s Miguel Almirón tied the match in the 69th, but Barlow put Cincinnati back in front in the 84th, and Denkey sealed the win with a second goal in the seventh minute of stoppage time.
The victory was Cincinnati’s first road win in Major League Soccer play since May 2 and its first win overall in seven games, dating to Aug. 19. Barlow and defender Kyle Smith each made their 200th career MLS appearance in the match.
Cincinnati improved to 9-9-9 with 36 points, moving into ninth place in the Eastern Conference as the club fights for a playoff berth. Losses by Columbus and D.C. United gave Cincinnati a little more breathing room in the standings.
“It feels good,” Barlow said after the match. “It’s been a long time since we’ve won on the road, so it feels nice. Tough place to win.”
Head coach Pat Noonan called the result an important one and said he hopes it can propel the team into a good stretch. Cincinnati returns home to host the New England Revolution on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 7:30 p.m.
