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Fire continue to roll with win at TFC

Sep 13, 2012 - 1:05 AM Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - The Chicago Fire continued their run of fine form with a 2-1 win over Toronto FC at BMO Field on Wednesday.

The Fire jumped out to a comfortable first-half lead thanks to Alvaro Fernandez and Chris Rolfe. They continued to dominate until the late stages when Eric Hassli brought TFC to within a goal, but it proved to be nothing more than consolation.

Chicago (14-8-5) has won five of its last six league matches to jump into second place in the Eastern Conference with 47 points.

Toronto (5-17-6) stays bottom of the East on 21 points.

Fernandez, who was acquired from Seattle Sounders FC in a mid-season trade, put the visitors in front in the 13th minute. Pavel Pardo hit the post with a right-footed shot but stuck with the play to send a cross back into the danger area where Fernandez was waiting to nod home his first goal with his new club.

The lead was doubled just before halftime when a failed clearance by the Toronto defense was hammered home by Rolfe's one-time volley through traffic.

Hassli capped a fine passage of play to cut the deficit in half in the 79th minute, latching on to Luis Silva's through ball and firing a shot past Sean Johnson.

That goal sparked a more confident spell of play for Toronto, but the Canadian club was unable to conjure an equalizer. Its winless run has been extended to eight games.