Sport Huancayo beat Sport Boys 2:1 in the Clausura round 8 of Peru's First Division on Friday evening at Estadio Huancayo. The home side took all three points after a match that swung wildly in the closing stages. Javier Sanguinetti scored both goals, including a late penalty that proved decisive.
The opening goal came on the half-hour mark when Sanguinetti found the net in the 45th minute. Sport Boys responded quickly, with Yuriel Celi equalising shortly after the break in the 55th minute. The visitors had pushed forward, looking to maintain momentum, but Huancayo held their shape.
And here's the thing about the final ten minutes — everything changed. Sanguinetti converted a penalty in the 90th minute plus one, ending a barren spell for the home side. To be fair, the visitors had controlled much of the second half, but one moment of quality shifted the balance. By then, the tension was palpable on the pitch.
What followed was chaos. Sanguinetti received a yellow card for his penalty goal, then Celi was booked in stoppage time. The drama peaked in the 90th minute plus three when Sanguinetti was shown a red card, sending the match into uncharted territory. Huancayo had to hold on with ten men for the remainder of the game.
We had tipped a home win at 48 per cent confidence before kick-off. It came off, though not in the way anyone expected. The prediction wasn't built on domination — it was based on Huancayo's ability to grind out results at home, even when things don't go to plan.
The statistics tell a story of dominance without control. Huancayo enjoyed 54 per cent possession and registered nine shots on target compared to Sport Boys' three. But shots accuracy tells another tale — the visitors hit 50 per cent while the hosts managed just 28 per cent. Many shots with one goal means chances went begging, and that's what this match was about.
After the game, Huancayo remained 13th with 29 points from 25 matches. Sport Boys sat ninth with 34 points, a gap that now stretched to five. The result ended Huancayo's recent run of mixed form, though the red card will give the coaching staff plenty to consider in the week ahead.
