LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (CMC) — Cory Burke ignited Bethlehem Steel with his sixth goal of the season, but they twice failed to hold onto the lead and came away with a 2-2 draw against Louisville City FC in the only match of the United Soccer League last Friday.

The 25-year-old Jamaica international nailed a first-half penalty to give the Steel an early lead and Santi Moar scored early in the second half, each time putting the visitors ahead, but Louisville rallied on each occasion before a crowd of just over 8,000 at Slugger Field to grab a share of points.

The draw moved Louisville to 51 points at the top of the Eastern Conference standings — and one point from clinching a place in the 2017 USL Cup Playoffs, leaving the Steel in ninth place and one point out of the playoff positions.

The Steel got the chance to take the lead from the penalty spot in the 21st minute when Moar was brought down in the area, and Burke shot low into the left corner to convert for the only item before the break.

Louisville, however, were awarded a penalty kick of their own 10 minutes into the second half as Luke Spencer was brought down and Kyle Smith converted to level the score.

The Steel regained the advantage in the 61st minute when Moar put home a big rebound off an initial shot from Burke, but the home team hit back again with 14 minutes to go, as Oscar Jimenez curled a low free kick from 25 yards out into the right corner of the net.

The visitors didn’t return to the top eight in the USL Eastern Conference, but they will likely be happy to come away with something from one of the toughest places to play in the league.

The Steel hold a game in hand on both seventh-place FC Cincinnati and eighth-place Orlando City B with six games to go in the regular season.

They return home still in control of their play-off fate, as they welcome the Pittsburgh Riverhounds next Sunday to Goodman Stadium in a crucial contest for both teams in the playoff race.