Temperley hold nerve to edge Midland in tight encounter
Temperley took all three points against Midland with a 2:1 victory in the Primera Nacional regular season on Saturday evening. The result keeps them in second place with 46 points after 27 games, while Midland remain fifth on 41 points from 26 matches. And here's the thing — this wasn't the kind of game where the better team dominated throughout, but Temperley found their moment when it mattered most.
D. Bulacio opened the scoring early, tapping home in the 11th minute after good work in the final third. Midland had a chance to respond almost immediately, with M. Echeverria missing a penalty in the 16th minute that could have changed the complexion of the match entirely. To be fair, the hosts didn't camp in the final third, but they got dragged out of position whenever Midland tried to build from the back.
The second half brought a different rhythm, with Midland pressing harder after the break. M. Echeverria pulled one back from open play in the 49th minute, and suddenly the game was alive again. By then, Temperley had switched to a back three to shore up the middle, and P. Souto's goal in the 52nd minute — just three minutes after the equaliser — gave the hosts breathing room. That price has gone when you concede so quickly after pulling level.
Statistically, the match told a familiar story: Temperley controlled possession at 56 per cent and registered 111 attacks compared to Midland's 88, but the visitors managed four shots on target to the hosts' three. Shots off target were evenly matched at three apiece. Many shots with one goal means chances went begging, and Midland found no answer when they needed to.
Temperley's recent form suggests they cannot afford another slip, having followed a 3:0 win over Los Andes with a 0:1 loss to Atlanta. Midland come off a 2:2 draw with Banfield and a string of tight results — 1:1 with Acassuso, 2:0 over Deportivo Maipú. The draw brought them together early in this fixture, but it was the hosts who held their nerve when the game was on a knife-edge.
Match summary: Temperley 2-1 Midland (Bulacio 11', Echeverria 49', Souto 52'). Yellow cards: O. Pacheco 25', M. Penepil 63', F. Diaz 65', A. Arregui 90', L. Recalde 90+3'. The hosts now extend their unbeaten run to two matches after the defeat to Atlanta.