Barra Mansa beat Parati 2:1 in the Group Stage-2 fixture of the Carioca B2 championship on Saturday. The result ended a barren spell for the hosts, who had drawn both opening matches without scoring a win. Parati remained winless, extending a run of defeats that has left them bottom of the table.
Barra Mansa moved into 8th place with three points, while Parati stayed in 11th on zero points. The hosts had previously drawn 2:2 with Campus and 0:0 with Uni Souza, but this was their first result that did not end in a share of the spoils. Parati's losses to Belford-Rozu and Santo Cruz had kept them adrift.
The visitors had beaten Barra Mansa 2:1 in October last season, but that result belonged to a different campaign. By then the sides had both been through their opening round of fixtures in the current competition, and the pattern was recognisable. Parati had not found a way past opponents, and neither had Barra Mansa until this afternoon.
Barra Mansa's recent form showed two goalless draws against Uni Souza and a heavy 3:0 defeat at Bozius. They turned it on against Campus with a 2:2 draw, and the momentum carried into this match. Parati's last outing was a 0:4 thrashing by Belford-Rozu, and they had struggled to create chances all season.
The win gave Barra Mansa breathing room in the group. They now sit level on points with teams around them and have a positive goal difference to show for their efforts. Parati face a difficult path to recovery with two defeats already and no points to cushion the fall.
