Maraton defeated Antigua GFC 3-0 in the CONCACAF Central American Cup group stage on Thursday. The visitors took control early and never looked back, closing out a comfortable victory in Guatemala. It was a performance built on efficiency rather than domination.
Nicolas Messiniti struck twice in the closing stages of the first half to put Maraton ahead. The Argentine forward netted in the 45th minute, then added another just two minutes into stoppage time. Antigua had dominated possession at 58 per cent but could not convert that advantage into clear chances.
Maraton extended their lead almost immediately after the break. Yamil Moreno scored in the 56th minute and repeated the feat a minute later, catching the home side off guard. The Antigua manager responded with three substitutions within eight minutes, bringing on K. J. Lopez, J. Franco and W. Fajardo. The changes did not shift the momentum.
Daniel Ramirez made it 3-0 in the 75th minute, and by then the match had slipped beyond Antigua's reach. Things came to a head in the final moments when J. Carbonell received a second yellow card and was sent off. The defender had already been booked in the 68th minute, and his dismissal left the hosts with ten men for the closing phase.
The statistics told a familiar story. Antigua registered 109 attacks to Maraton's 86, yet the visitors landed five shots on target compared to just two from the hosts. Shots accuracy sat at 11 per cent for Antigua and 38 per cent for Maraton. They did not need more possession when they were more clinical.
Maraton now sit in a stronger position in the group table. The win extends their recent unbeaten run and puts pressure on the remaining fixtures. Antigua will need to regroup quickly if they are to salvage anything from this campaign.