Columbus, OH (Sports Network) - Columbus Crew coach Sigi Schmid had high hopes for young Nigerian midfielder Emmanuel Ekpo when he signed him in April of this year.

On Saturday night at Crew Stadium, Ekpo showed the first legitimate flash of what Schmid envisioned when the 20-year-old produced his first game-changing effort in a Major League Soccer uniform.

Ekpo produced an assist and the game-winning goal - his first in the league - as the Crew topped the Colorado Rapids, 2-1. It was just his third start in his seventh game with the Crew.

Combined with the release of Nicolas "Nico" Hernandez before the game, the season ending injury to Adam Moffat, and the dominant performance on Saturday, it looks like Ekpo could be a regular fixture in the Crew lineup the rest of the season.

Saturday's game started with both teams creating little offense in the first half. The Crew dominated possession, but were unable to create many chances while the Rapids fired a few chances on Crew goalkeeper Will Hesmer that were saved with relative ease.

The second half was a different story as both teams came out firing.

The Crew got the game's first goal in the 53rd minute when Ekpo sprung forward Alejandro Moreno in the Rapids' penalty area with a nice pass. Moreno cut past two defenders before being taken down by the second, earning a penalty kick call from referee Baldomero Toledo.

Guillermo Barros Schelotto took the chance and froze Rapids goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul with a the pinpoint shot to the left side-netting for his third goal of the season.

Nick LaBrocca pulled the goal back for Colorado less than 10 minutes later when he took a pass from Conor Casey at the top of the Crew 18-yard box and blasted a shot low, just between the far post and the fingertips of a diving Hesmer.

Ekpo put the final stamp on the game with a brilliant individual effort 20 minutes from time that turned out to be the game winner.

The Nigerian controlled the ball in the midfield and sprinted into the offensive third, past a number of defenders, before firing a laser beam into the far-post side-netting to make the score 2-1.

The Crew (8-4-2) will aim to continue their return to form when they host the Chicago Fire next Saturday while the Rapids (5-8-1) will try for three points when they host the New York Red Bulls a day earlier.

Game Notes: The Rapids played the game without their most influential midfielder, Christian Gomez, after he was a late scratch, apparently because of an unspecified injury. ... The Rapids also played without midfielder Rafael Gomes after releasing him on Saturday.