Khano Smith whipped in a devastating cross to set up the last-minute Taylor Twellman strike that kept New England Revolution unbeaten atop the MLS Eastern Conference standings on Saturday.

The Bermudian international?s third appearance for the Major League Soccer side saw him make the most impact so far, supplying the inch-perfect 35-yard cross from the left wing to allow Twellman to make it 2-2 in the dying stages against the Metrostars at Giants Stadium in New York.

Smith, once again replacing Marshall Leonard on the left side of midfield, was given 29 minutes of action ? more than enough to get the ESPN2 commentators gushing about his skill and speed.

Even before his game-changing cross, Smith was looking lively on the astroturf pitch in front of the 12,134 crowd, causing trouble for the full back with his pace, strength and quick feet.

?I played on the left for the national team, so it?s not foreign territory to me,? said the former Dandy Town player after the game.

?I am just happy to be playing, even if it is at left back. I was just trying to get the cross into the six-yard box, where it?s difficult for the goalkeeper to get to, so somebody could get their head on it.

??Most goals are scored right after the other team scores, so after we conceded a goal, we had to step up really quickly.?

??When they got the lead, it was a little scary,? Revolution captain Shalrie Joseph said. ??But we just wanted to get the ball wide to Khano and Steve Ralston and let them work their magic, get it back into the box. It was a matter of time before we scored.?

Although pleased to have come back and forced a draw, the Revolution were frustrated at not claiming all the points, especially after the Metrostars ? who featured World Cup winner Youri Djorkaeff ? had a man sent off in the 66th minute.

But despite the team?s disappointment, it was another significant step forward from Smith, who is looking increasingly comfortable with each game.

The Bermudian forward has been given a much more significant role than anticipated after joining the MLS side earlier this month after impressing during the Rev?s pre-season tour here.

He was expected to be in the squad as just a reserve striker but his versatility has seen him fill in on the left side of midfield. He replaced the injured Marshall Leonard against DC United last week and did enough to earn 30 minutes in Leonard?s place again on Saturday.

The game time should help boost his confidence ahead of his expected first start, when first-choice strikers Pat Noonan and Twellman head off for international duty later in the season.

But his contributions have already been impressive, something that pleases national coach Kyle Lightbourne.

?I think he is doing well,? said Lightbourne, who watched some of Smith?s performance on TV this weekend.

?Khano will have no problem coping at that standard. Some people don?t realise what a talented player he is but he is better than some of the other guys playing over in the States at that level.

?I think the coach, Steve Nicol, is handling him well. By playing him in midfield, there is no real pressure on him to score so he can be eased into the side more comfortably.

?A goal would be good for him but that will come in time. And there is no doubt he is learning all the while and will be a better player for Bermuda next time we see him here.?