Deportivo San Pedro beat Antigua GFC 4-3 in the National League's Regular Season round 6 on Saturday night. The result came after a match that swung back and forth from the opening whistle. San Pedro took the lead through Y. Matos in the third minute, but Antigua responded quickly with S. Colon's equaliser nine minutes in.
And here's the thing about this kind of game — the momentum shifts faster than you can track it. A. Maziero restored San Pedro's advantage at 21 minutes, and by then you could see the pattern forming. Antigua wouldn't let go though, with E. Garcia pulling them level just before half-time at 45+9. The visitors had turned the game on its head before the break.
San Pedro came out stronger after the interval, with D. Fernandez putting them ahead again at 59 minutes. That's when J. Moreno picked up a red card for Antigua, and suddenly the visitors were fighting a rearguard action. The substitution of A. Garcia for San Pedro at 70 minutes showed the coach wanted to see out the lead, but football has a way of keeping you on edge.
The game nearly slipped away in the closing stages. J. Ardon scored for Antigua at 79 minutes to bring them within one goal, and you could feel the tension building. San Pedro's defence held firm through a yellow card in the 80th minute and R. Gomez's booking at 84, but the visitors kept throwing bodies forward. It was a nervy finish, though San Pedro got the three points they needed.
The statistics told a story of dominance without control. San Pedro registered 61 attacks to Antigua's 45, with nine shots on target compared to seven. But five shots went off target for the hosts, and two for the visitors — not the kind of numbers that suggest a comfortable win. The red card meant Antigua had to defend deep, which may explain the lower shot count.
This result lifts San Pedro after a mixed run of form. They had lost 2-0 to Malacateco and 1-0 to Comunicaciones in their previous six games, but the wins against Aurora and Suchitepequez showed they could compete. Antigua's defeat came after back-to-back victories, but they'll need to address the defensive lapse that cost them a man.