Monagas II edged past Dinamo Puerto la Cruz 2:1 in the Segunda División's regular season round 22 on Saturday night. The hosts climbed higher in the standings after seeing off a side sitting comfortably in fifth place. And here's the thing about these matches — the table position doesn't always predict the result.
E. Gonzalez opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 30th minute. By then the visitors had been pushing forward for an hour and needed a response. Dinamo pushed hard after the break and E. Osorio found the net in the 81st to level matters. J. Carrasco then stepped up to convert a penalty in the 87th minute, ending a barren spell for his side.
The visitors looked dangerous after going behind and camped in the final third for much of the second half. Monagas held their shape and threw bodies in the way when needed. To be fair, Dinamo created enough to expect more from their efforts.
Monagas registered 94 attacks against 91 for their opponents while holding 59 percent possession. They won nine corners to seven and took 20 throw-ins compared to the visitors' 22. The hosts only saw one yellow card while the away side collected three.
The victory moves Monagas further clear at the top with 20 points from 20 games. Dinamo remain in fifth with 25 points, though their recent form suggests they have work to do. The hosts have already won 10 matches while the visitors have managed just six. The visitors lost their last two away matches by three-goal margins. And here's the thing — when you're playing away against the league leaders, you need to be at your best.