MONTREAL

Ignacio Piatti scores twice, Impact beat Real Salt Lake for fourth straight win

Kelsey Patterson The Canadian Press
Published Saturday, August 19, 2017 10:04PM EDT

Montreal Impact's Ignacio Piatti (10) scores against Real Salt Lake's goalkeeper Nick Rimando as Justen Glad (15) defends during first half MLS soccer action in Montreal, Saturday, August 19, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

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MONTREAL -- Ignacio Piatti scored twice for the second straight game to give the Impact a 3-1 victory over Real Salt Lake on Saturday, extending Montreal's winning streak to four games.

The victory propelled Mauro Biello's men into sixth place, and the final playoff position, in the MLS Eastern Conference standings.

Piatti, who is in the middle of contract negotiations with the Impact, has now scored in four consecutive games. He has six goals over that stretch.

Anthony Jackson-Hamel also scored for Montreal (10-8-6), which is on its first four-game winning streak since March 2013.

Luis Silva scored for Real Salt Lake (8-13-5) in the first half, ending Evan Bush's shutout streak at 284 minutes.

Following 3-0 wins against Philadelphia and Chicago, the Impact have now scored three goals in three consecutive games for the first time in franchise history.

Montreal has also won seven of its last eight games on home soil in Major League Soccer.

Piatti gave the Impact a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute. The Argentine side-footed home his 13th goal of the season after finding himself on a 2-on-1 with Blerim Dzemaili.

Montreal's leading goal scorer got his second of the night in the 29th minute, just three minutes after Real Salt Lake scored the equalizer. Piatti danced his way around defender Tony Beltran's slide tackle in the box and fired a left-footed shot into the far corner of the net from a nearly impossible angle.

The 19,541 in attendance at Saputo Stadium were convinced Piatti completed the hat trick in the 56th minute but his goal was called back for offside.

Jackson-Hamel put the game to bed in the 47th minute when he combined with fellow homegrown player Louis Beland-Goyette to score his seventh of the season.

Silva netted the lone goal for the visitors in the 26th minute, firing a powerful shot over Bush's outstretched hands following a give-and-go with Albert Rusnak.

Midfielder Andres Romero, who had only played 19 minutes for Montreal since tearing his ACL in October 2015, came into the game as a substitute in the 74th minute to a standing ovation.

Notes: Real Salt Lake, which had not lost in six straight matches, have conceded at least three goals in eight games this season. ΓÇª RSL is 0-3-0 all-time in Montreal.