Olanchito and Huizcalpa met in the Apertura round three of Honduras' national league on Sunday, and the hosts took all three points with a 1-0 win. The result keeps them mid-table while Huizcalpa remain in the lower half. By then, the visitors had already been reduced to ten men.
The first half was a scrappy affair with cards coming thick and fast. H. Gomez picked up yellows in consecutive minutes, 21 and 22, before M. Nunez followed at 43. Huizcalpa were reduced to ten at 45+2 when Nunez received his second booking. To be fair, the away side had shown physical intent throughout.
And here's the thing about the red card — it changed everything. Huizcalpa's last outfield player went off just before the break, and Olanchito knew they had the numbers advantage for the second half. The visitors held on grimly until the goal.
M. R. Ramirez Arauz broke the deadlock at 71 minutes. It was their first shot on target to come off, and it was enough. Olanchito had five shots on target throughout the game, while Huizcalpa managed none.
Olanchito dominated possession at 60 per cent and created more chances, though their conversion rate was poor. The visitors had five shots off target but couldn't find the back of the net. The result means Olanchito move to 12 points from seven games, while Huizcalpa stay on three.