Riverhounds' road winning streak ends in Birmingham

Enzo Martinez and Sadik Balarabe scored second-half goals as Birmingham Legion FC rallied for a 2-1 victory that snapped a four-game road winning streak for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Wednesday.

Albert Dikwa scored in the first half for the Riverhounds (15-8-7), who remain in fifth place in the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference, two points behind Birmingham (16-8-6) and Tampa Bay with four games to play.

The Riverhounds have clinched a playoff berth.

“I’m proud that after they scored, we regrouped and still tried to win it,” Riverhounds coach Bob Lilley said in a press release. “We pushed hard at the end, and the guys worked hard. … But against a good team on their home pitch, they found a goal.

“The quality of our last two games have been a lot better than a few weeks ago. I see an upswing in our play, and we have three of our last four at home, so we have to go win those.”

Less than a minute after Birmingham had an apparent goal waved off on an offside call, Dikwa took a pass from Russell Cicerone on the left side of the box, turned and fired inside the far post in the 38th minute.

Birmingham tied the score in the 50th minute when Arturo Ordonez of the Riverhounds knocked down a Proper Kasim cross in the box, but Martinez collected the loose ball and converted.

Birmingham got the winning goal in the 66th minute after a quick series of passes found Balarbe alone at the left post.

The Riverhounds have 10 days off before hosing defending champion Orange County SC at 7 p.m. Sept. 24 at Highmark Stadium.