Riverhounds blow 3-goal lead, escape from Hartford with wild win

Second-half substitute JC Obregon saved the Pittsburgh Riverhounds from a humiliating result Wednesday night.

Obregon scored the game-winning goal in the 88th minute after the Riverhounds blew a three-goal lead, escaping with a 4-3 victory over Hartford Athletic.

The Riverhounds (14-5-8) remained in first place in the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference. Hartford (4-17-4) is in last place.

The Riverhounds dominated the first three-quarters of the game, taking a 2-0 lead into halftime on a pair of goals by Albert Dikwa. He cleaned up a pinballing Marc Ybarra shot in the 13th minute and cashed in a rebound of his own header off the post in the 18th minute.

Ybarra added his first pro goal on a header in the 52nd minute to give the Hounds a 3-0 lead.

The Riverhounds made a series of substitutions and looked to be running out the clock when Hartford erupted for three goals in less than nine minutes.

Matt Sheldon scored on a header in the 78th minute. Danny Barrera fired in a left-footed shot from the top of the penalty area in the 81st minute. Antoine Hoppenot scored on a scramble after goalkeeper Jahmali Waite came off his line to challenge in the 86th minute.

Less than two minutes after the tying goal, Obregon, a former Hartford forward who came on for Dikwa in the 68th minute, settled a pass with his back to goal, turned and blasted in a shot to the top-right corner of the net to save the day for the Hounds.

The Riverhounds will play another road game Saturday night, visiting San Antonio with a 9 p.m. kickoff.