Canuales secured a 3-2 victory over table-topping Luján in Primera C regular season round 27 on Saturday evening. The result closed a gap at the summit to just three points and broke Luján's momentum after five unbeaten outings.
J. Arias opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a composed finish, but Luján responded through T. Roca just before the interval in the 45th minute plus two. A red card in the 36th minute changed everything, leaving the visitors to play the second half a man down. E. Ramos restored parity in the 72nd minute before D. Aguirre put Canuales ahead in the 86th. The away side pulled one back in the 89th, but it was too little, too late.
To be fair, the statistics tell a different story. Luján enjoyed 52 per cent possession and registered 124 attacks against 121, yet they managed only two shots on target compared to Canuales' five. The visitors also earned four corners to one, but things came to a head when the red card forced them to defend deep while Canuales played the second half a man up.
Canuales remain second in the standings with 45 points from 26 games, their record of 12 wins, nine draws and five losses now under pressure from the leaders. Luján sit top with 49 points after 14 victories, seven draws and five defeats, but this defeat will make life awkward for anyone expecting an easy run-in.
The home side have not lost in their last two league outings, having beaten General Lamadrid 2-0 and Leon de Rosario 1-0 before that. Luján's recent form included a 4-0 demolition of Deportivo Muniz and a goalless draw with Deportivo Español, but the away end never stopped creating chances even without their full complement.
The result leaves Canuales within striking distance at the top. Three points separate them now, and with five rounds remaining, the table could look very different by season's end.
