Hearts of Pine again unable to hold late lead

Former Portland Hearts of Pine player Azaad Liadi converted a free kick 2 minutes into stoppage time as Greenville Triumph SC rallied for a 3-3 draw in a USL League One match Saturday night in Greenville, South Carolina.

After a handball just outside the box, Liadi’s kick hit the crossbar to the right of Portland keeper Hunter Morse and caromed into the net.

The result continued a troubling trend for the Hearts of Pine, who have surrendered late leads in numerous matches this season.

Portland led 3-1 at halftime after goals by Aboubacar Camara, Diogo Barbosa and Konstantinos Georgallides.

Camara struck first in the 28th minute, redirecting a cross from the right wing into the box by Georgallides.

Just four minutes later, Barbosa and Camara worked a give-and-go, sending Barbosa in alone on Greenville keeper Amal Knight. Barbosa slotted his shot into the left side of the net to make it 2-0.

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Greenville’s Muba Nour answered in the 37th minute with a sensational individual rush that started in his own end and ended with a blistering shot from the top of the box into the right side panel.

Georgallides then restored Portland’s two-goal lead, scoring in the 40th minute with a shot from the right side of the box after a pass from Diego Gonzalez.

Nour cut Greenville’s deficit to 3-2 in the 51st minute when he converted a loose ball in the box after the Hearts defense was unable to clear a cross.

Both teams remained well below the cutoff line for the eight-team playoffs. Hearts are in 11th place with a 5-7-6 record for 21 points, and Greenville is 13th with 18 points and a 5-9-3 record.

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