Sportivo Amellano secured their first victory of the Clausura campaign with a 3-1 triumph over Deportivo Recoleto at Estadio Jose Thomas Silva on Friday evening. The result lifts the hosts off the bottom of the table while Recoleto's recent struggles continue to deepen. Three goals in the opening 87 minutes set up a comfortable evening for the home side before the visitors' late consolation.
P. Rios opened the scoring in the 31st minute, capitalising on Recoleto's defensive disorganisation. E. Moreira doubled the advantage just before half-time with a well-taken effort in the 41st minute. The hosts camped in the final third throughout, their shot accuracy of 0.47 contrasting sharply with Recoleto's 0.18. By then, the visitors had already found themselves chasing the game.
The match turned decisively in the 69th minute when F.A. Echeguren Zarza received his second yellow card and was sent off. Recoleto spent the remaining 20 minutes playing a man down, and the numerical disadvantage proved decisive. Sportivo made three substitutions during that period, fresh legs replacing those who had been involved in the early goals. One mistake ends it when you are down to ten men against a side that has been dominant.
A. Paredes converted a penalty in the 87th minute to complete the scoring, while R. Torales pulled one back for Recoleto in stoppage time. The visitors' goalkeeper made six saves in total, though most came from set pieces or long-range efforts. Sportivo's attack generated 14 shots within the penalty area compared to Recoleto's six, demonstrating where the chances were created.
Statistically, the match told a familiar story. Sportivo recorded 97 attacks to Recoleto's 68, with 9 shots on target against just 2 for the visitors. The hosts completed 398 passes with only 53 failures, while Recoleto struggled with 74 failed passes from 336 attempts. Possession was evenly shared at 50 per cent, but the quality of chances told a different tale entirely.
The result moves Sportivo Amellano off the bottom of the Clausura table, though they remain level on points with several sides. They had drawn their opening three matches before this breakthrough victory. Recoleto, meanwhile, drop further down the standings after a run that includes four consecutive defeats, including heavy losses to Boca Juniors.
