Real Estelí saw off San Marcos 2-0 in the eighth round of the Apertura in the Primera División on Wednesday evening. The hosts ran out comfortable winners at home, moving further clear of the mid-table pack while San Marcos continued to struggle for consistency.
M. Castro opened the scoring in the twenty-ninth minute, giving Real Estelí an early cushion. E. Castillo doubled the lead just before half-time in the forty-fourth, and the home side looked set to cruise to victory. And here's the thing, the match turned ugly after the break when two red cards changed the complexion entirely.
Real Estelí were reduced to ten men in the fifty-seventh minute, but they held firm. San Marcos lost their man in the seventy-fifth and could not mount a serious comeback. The game became disjointed, each side running on emotion rather than structure after the dismissals.
Real Estelí dominated the numbers. They registered 108 attacks to 71, with 51.75 per cent possession and ten shots on target. San Marcos managed only three shots on target across the match, and the red card in the seventy-fifth minute left them chasing shadows for the final quarter.
The result lifts Real Estelí to second place with 16 points from seven games, while San Marcos remain sixth on eight points from eight matches. The gap between them is now eight points, and the home side have nothing to lose in the final rounds.
