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Montreal Impact's Ignacio Piatti, left, and Columbus Crew's Eric Gehrig battle for the ball during second half MLS soccer action inGRAHAM HUGHES/The Canadian Press

Recently acquired designated player Ignacio Piatti's first two goals lifted the Montreal Impact to a 2-0 victory over the Columbus Crew on Saturday night.

Piatti, the midfielder nicknamed Nacho who arrived from Argentina this month as the team's second DP, took a feed from Felipe Martins inside the Columbus area, put a deke on Michael Parkhurst and drilled in his first MLS goal in the 40th minute.

He added another in extra time with a sliding shot on a loose ball after Marco Di Vaio lost the ball.

The last-place Impact (5-15-5) posted a second win in their last three league games.

Columbus (8-9-9) had won their previous two matches. They were shut out after scoring nine times in three games.

The Saputo Stadium crowd could feel a goal coming for Piatti after he forced goalkeeper Steve Clark to make a sharp hand save in the 30th minute.

Two minutes later, they booed as Piatti's pass for Di Vaio into the area hit referee Juan Guzman, who a moment later showed Piatti the yellow card for a rough tackle.

Guzman made it up in the 34th by taking out the yellow for Tony Tchani for tripping Piatti.

Then Di Vaio drew a free kick just outside the Columbus area and opted for a pass that Piatti headed into Clark's hands.

And less than a minute later, Piatti scored.

Columbus star Federico Higuain was given a free kick from 25 yards after a sliding tackle from Hassoun Camara but the Argentine's shot went into keeper Evan Bush's arms.

Substitute Aaron Schoenfeld's header from close range off a corner kick in the 78th gave Bush trouble, but he managed to put a hand onto the ball.

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