Fernandino de la Mora claimed a 2:1 victory over Benjamín Aceval in the Division Intermedia's 19th round on Thursday evening. The result shifts the momentum in a tight mid-table battle where every point carries weight. By then, the hosts had already established they would not simply roll over for the visitors.
P. Martinez opened the scoring in the 48th minute, finishing a move that had pinned the visitors back across their defensive third. The goal came after sustained pressure, though the statistics would later show both sides generated similar attacking numbers. And here's the thing — it was the moments, not the possession, that decided the opening exchange.
Benjamín Aceval responded through O. Arguello in the 56th minute, capitalising on a momentary lapse in concentration. The visitors had been second to everything in territorial terms but showed they could punish hesitation. To be fair, Fernandino's back line had not looked particularly comfortable since the break.
I. E. Gavilan Romero then snatched the winner at the death in the 61st minute, a finish that followed a period of sustained pressure. The hosts had created more clear-cut chances, and it was those opportunities that eventually told. The visitors were reduced to chasing the game after that moment.
The statistics reflect a contest where chances went begging on both sides. Fernandino registered six shots on target compared to three for the visitors, while both teams recorded similar attack counts — 110 versus 111. Possession was evenly split at 49 per cent to 51 per cent, but the shots on target tell a clearer story of who threatened more.
The victory lifts Fernandino to 25 points from 22 games, keeping them in 12th place. Benjamín Aceval remain fourth with 39 points, though the gap between them and the top has not changed. The result extends the visitors' unbeaten run to eight across all competitions, even if this particular outing offered little to celebrate.