Findley's Hat Trick Lifts Real Salt Lake 4-1

Robbie Findley scored the first hat trick in franchise history and Kyle Beckerman added a goal as Real Salt Lake earned its first win of the season, 4-1 over the winless Columbus Crew on Thursday night.

By: Associated Press | NBC4
Published: April 03, 2009

SANDY, Utah -- Robbie Findley scored the first hat trick in franchise history and Kyle Beckerman added a goal as Real Salt Lake earned its first win of the season, 4-1 over the winless Columbus Crew on Thursday night.

After scoring in the second minute, Findley got the winner for Real Salt Lake (1-1-0) in the 29th minute when he stopped Columbus goalkeeper William Hesmer's attempted clearance and dribbled around him before calmly scoring in an empty net.

Findley wasn't done, scoring again in the 62nd minute with a header off a cross from Yura Movsisyan against the defending champions.

The Crew (0-1-2) temporally tied the game at 1 when Jason Garey took advantage of a mishandled ball in the box by Real's defense and scored in the 22nd minute. Gino Padula sent the cross in and the ball bounced off goalkeeper Nick Rimando's leg right to Garey.

Findley's first goal also came following a mistake by Hesmer when he made an initial save on a free kick from Real's Will Johnson, but Findley was there to score off the rebound.

Findley left in the 70th minute to a standing ovation from the crowd of 11,806.

Beckerman also scored on a header, with his coming off a corner kick from Clint Mathis in the 67th minute.

Hesmer made five saves while Rimando had one.

Findley's Hat Trick Lifts Real Salt Lake 4-1

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