Deportes Tolima came from behind to beat Alianza Petrolero 2:1 in the Clausura second stage, a result that moved them further clear in the table. The visitors took the lead through a penalty but Alianza answered quickly before the half-time whistle. Then came the decisive moment, a goal in stoppage time that settled the match.
F. Pardo gave the home side the advantage in the ninth minute, but Tolima levelled through L. Sandoval's penalty in the 37th. The visitors won that spot-kick after Alianza had worked a corner, and the equaliser came just before the interval. To be fair, Alianza had pushed forward and left space behind, something Tolima punished. By then the momentum had shifted, though the hosts did not fold.
Substitutions began in the 60th minute with C. Esparragoza for Alianza, followed by J. Munoz and K. Florez for Tolima in quick succession. The coaches were trying to find something, but the game had already been decided on the counter. L. Sanchez came on for Tolima in the 73rd, and C. Vergara replaced an Alianza player two minutes later. J. Castillo appeared for the hosts in the 80th, while L. Sandoval was withdrawn by then, his work done.
The statistics tell a story of control without clarity. Tolima held 67 per cent of possession and completed 537 passes compared with Alianza's 229, yet their expected goals sat at 1.37 to 1.57. The visitors took five shots on target with 42 per cent accuracy, while Alianza managed three attempts, hitting the target 25 per cent of the time. Many shots with one goal means chances went begging, and that is what happened here.
After the match the table tells the real story. Tolima sit sixth with 31 points from 19 games, three wins ahead of their nearest challenger in the mid-table pack. Alianza remain 17th on 17 points, still searching for consistency after three victories and eight draws. The clean-sheet run came to an end for neither side, but the result extended Tolima's push toward the top half.