MONTREAL — Matteo Mancosu scored in his first Major League Soccer start as the Montreal Impact downed the struggling Houston Dynamo 1-0 before a full house of 20,801 at Saputo Stadium on Saturday night.

Mancuso, starting at striker in place of the suspended Didier Drogba, took down a long pass over the top from his Italian compatriot Marco Donadel and slid a low shot inside the left post in the 77th minute. Mancuso, who signed July 7, has two goals and an assist in his first four appearances.

The Impact (8-5-9) posted a second straight home win for the first time since April. They are 4-1-5 in their last 10 games.

Houston (4-10-8), which sits 10th and last in the Western Conference, is winless in five games and has scored only one goal in that span.

The Dynamo deserved at least one in Montreal.

Houston had the early chances, but Will Bruin and Andrew Wenger put shots from inside the 18-yard box straight into goalkeeper Evan Bush while Boniek Garcia slipped a shot just wide in the 21st minute.

Mancosu was in alone in the 11th but was stopped by Joe Willis. Donadel missed on a shot from distance and Hassoun Camara volleyed a clever cross from Ambroise Oyongo over the bar.

Bruin had another chance early in the second half when he beat a defender and went in on the right side but was stopped by Bush. The Montreal keeper also made an alert save on David Frost's header from a free kick from Cristian Maidana in the 67th. And Abdoulie Mansally blasted a shot in the 85th on the run up the left side that Bush leapt to palm over the bar.

Ignacio Piatti hit a post from inside the box in the 84th.

Houston has Impact ties, starting with general manager Matt Jordan, a former Montreal goalkeeper, as well as Wenger and midfielders Collen Warner and Eric Alexander.

Impact forward Dominic Oduro was honoured before the game for his 300th MLS game, which was last week in Washington.