KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Phillip Goodrum recorded two goals and assist as Atlanta United 2 cruised to a 4-1 victory against Sporting Kansas City II on Saturday evening at Children’s Mercy Park, with Darwin Matheus and Tyler Woff also finding the net for the visitors.

Looking to break a four-game losing streak, Sporting had a pair of early looks at goal that first saw Graham Smith send a header on target that was saved by Atlanta’s Rocco Rios Novo before Jamil Roberts dragged a finish wide of the left post from the right side of the box inside the opening 15 minutes. Isaiah LeFlore also tried to beat Rios Novo with a curling shot from 25 yards after a counterattack in the 24th minute, but six minutes before halftime Atlanta took the lead as a moment of hesitation in the SKC II defense allowed a pass out of the back to be blocked and caromed to Connor Stanley. The Manchester United U-23 loanee quickly sent a lateral pass to Matheus, who curled a shot into the top-right corner of the net off the underside of the crossbar.

The visitors almost doubled their lead in first-half stoppage time as Stanley played in Robbie Mertz behind the Sporting defense and as goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh came off his line, Mertz drove around him to the left only for LeFlore to make a brilliant sliding block to keep the ball from finding the net. Atlanta’s Wolff struck again two minutes into the second half, however, as a quick passing move saw Goodrum send Wolff into the left side of the penalty area for a first-time shot to the far post.

Sporting’s Rojay Smith tried to cut into his side’s deficit in the 50th minute as he shot to the near post from the right side of the penalty area only for Rios Novo to turn the shot away. Off the ensuing corner kick, Jahon Rad sent a header just over the top-left corner of the net. Atlanta’s Goodrum put in a third for the visitors not long after, though, as he added a goal to his earlier assist after coming on as a halftime substitute, tapping home the rebound after Mertz’s initial shot was saved.

Goodrum added the fourth for Atlanta with 16 minutes to go as the visitors turned over possession in the attacking third, sending it to Macky Diop on the right before the Senegalese forward threaded a pass into the penalty area between two defenders that allowed Goodrum to fire home first time into the right corner of the net. McIntosh then produced a sharp save 10 minutes later to keep out a low shot by Atlanta’s Ajani Fortune before Danny Barbir pulled a late consolation goal back for the visitors as he headed home a free kick by Jake Davis. That would prove the final notable action, though, as Atlanta maintained its drive for a place in the postseason.

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Phillip Goodrum, Atlanta United 2 – Goodrum came on as a halftime substitute and within 10 minutes had notched a goal and assist to put Atlanta into a comfortable lead before capping the win with his second goal inside the final 20 minutes.

Scoring Summary
ATL – Darwin Matheus (Connor Stanley) 39’
ATL – Tyler Wolff (Phillip Goodrum) 47’
ATL – Phillip Goodrum 54’
ATL – Phillip Goodrum (Macky Diop) 74’
SKC – Danny Barbir (Jake Davis) 86’

Full Box Score