Ferrocarril Oeste surrendered their lead at the top of the Primera Nacional when Deportivo Madryn secured a 2:0 victory on Friday night. The result shifts the momentum in the Regular Season-32 clash, leaving the hosts 11 points clear but visibly unsettled. It was a night where the visitors took the points despite playing with less than half the possession.
The deadlock broke late in the contest when E. Montagna found the net in the 78th minute. Before that, Deportivo Madryn had tested themselves with a penalty attempt by E. Dening in the 67th minute, which came to nothing. The academy graduate marked his opportunity with a miss, but the pressure eventually told. By then, the game had already switched direction after G. Canto’s dismissal. The hosts had made several changes in the final quarter, bringing on M. Meli and L. Marinucci to try and rescue a point.
G. Canto received his marching orders in the 62nd minute, a double yellow that coincided with a booking for L. Marinucci. The hosts were reduced to ten men and immediately had to abandon their control of the midfield. Ferrocarril Oeste had dominated the initial exchanges with 56 per cent of the ball, but the numerical imbalance changed everything.
The statistics tell a story of dominance without delivery. Ferrocarril Oeste registered 117 attacks and four shots on target, yet failed to convert. Deportivo Madryn managed five shots on target from 96 attacks to take the lead. It is a reminder that possession does not always equal progress when the final ball is missing.
J. Peinipil sealed the victory in stoppage time, firing home in the 90th minute plus two. The hosts had pushed forward but found the visitors’ defence resolute. They had brought on F. Giacopuzzi and L. Silba in the 90th minute to add an extra attacker. The decision to go for broke came too late to change the outcome.
The defeat ends a run of three consecutive draws for Ferrocarril Oeste, who remain top of the table with 61 points. Deportivo Madryn move up to fourth place with 50 points, closing the gap slightly on the leaders. The result confirms that the title race is far from over, even if the hosts still hold the advantage.
