COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Reserve Jeff Cunningham scored the decisive goal in the 78th minute as the Columbus Crew beat the Los Angeles Galaxy 3-2 Wednesday night.

The victory gives Columbus (9-10-4) at least a share of first place in Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference. Los Angeles (10-8-3) remains tied for third in the Western Conference. The Galaxy are 3-6-1 on the road.

Cunningham headed a ball inside the near post off a corner kick by Robert Warzycha after entering the game eight minutes earlier.

Simon Elliot tied the game at 2 for the Galaxy in the 66th minute. Cobi Jones passed from the endline to Gavin Glinton, whose shot was blocked by defender Mike Clark, but Elliott put the rebound into the top left corner.

The Crew went up 2-1 in the first half on goals by Kyle Martino and Edson Buddle.

Buddle scored in the 28th minute after taking a cross from Duncan Oughton and heading the ball into the side netting from seven yards out. Brian Maisonneuve also assisted.

Four minutes earlier, Martino tied the game at 1 on a penalty kick. Martino sent a shot inside the left post just past the fingertips of Kevin Hartman. The Crew were awarded the penalty kick after Oughton was pulled down from behind by defender Danny Califf.

Jones put the Galaxy ahead 1-0 in the sixth minute. Tyrone Marshall slotted a pass from the endline back toward Jones, who one-timed a shot from 13 yards out past a diving Jon Busch. Sasha Victorine also assisted.

Jones has three goals and six assists since returning from the World Cup.

Columbus was without forward Brian McBride and midfielders John Harkes and Eric Denton, who are injured. Los Angeles was without forwards Isaias Bardales and Chris Albright.

It was a rare victory for an Eastern Conference team against a Western Conference opponent.

Each of the five Western Conference teams has a better record than their counterparts in the East. The last-place team in the West, Kansas City, has three more points than the Eastern Conference-leading New York/New Jersey MetroStars.

Columbus has the best record of any MLS team against the Galaxy at 9-5-2. Columbus has not lost to Los Angeles at home since May 17, 1998, going 2-0-2 since the Galaxy's 4-2 victory.