Jamal Thiare scored a 98th-minute winner for the Columbus Crew in a 2-1 victory over Inter Miami at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.

Lionel Messi cancelled out Josef Martinez's penalty with a brilliant free-kick in the first half, but Thiare snatched a last-gasp winner shortly after Santiago Morales saw red for Miami.

Columbus started on the front foot as Anass Zaroury saw a strike from the edge of the box cannon off the woodwork 10 minutes in, though the Crew would take the lead just before the half-hour mark.

Yannick Bright wrestled with Martinez during a corner, with the latter winning the penalty and dispatching it for his first MLS goal for Columbus.

However, Miami were level just five minutes later as Messi scored a stunning free-kick from the right wing, curling the ball over Patrick Schulte and into the far corner.

The Herons struggled to create chances in the second half, while Zaroury struck the frame of the goal twice more as Columbus pushed for all three points.

And the hosts eventually struck in stoppage time; two minutes after Morales received a second yellow card for time-wasting, Thiare reacted fastest to a rebound after Rocco Rios Novo spilled the initial effort from Brais Mendez.

Miami given reality check by improving Columbus

Miami have won more points on the road than any other side in the Eastern Conference this season (27), but other than a moment of magic from Messi, they looked lost against Columbus.

While restricting the Herons to just 0.27 expected goals (xG) from five shots, the Crew registered 1.87 of their own, while also hitting the woodwork three times through Zaroury.

Messi, perhaps unsurprisingly, led Miami in shots (three) and chances created (two), but his team-mates failed to add any threat of their own, with Morales's two yellow cards soon after coming off bench summing up a poor performance.

Miami are now winless in five MLS games (D4 L1) and at risk of tumbling down the East, while back-to-back wins have moved Columbus closer to the play-off spots.