Floresta secured a narrow 1:0 victory over Anapolis in the 17th round of Brazil's Serie C on Saturday evening. The result keeps the hosts in fifth place while Anapolis remain rooted to eighteenth. Matheus Martins struck in the thirtieth minute and his side managed to see out the game despite the visitors dominating possession.
The breakthrough came when Matheus Martins found the net, though the goal arrived after a period of sustained pressure from the away side. Anapolis controlled 66 per cent of the ball and registered 121 attacks compared to Floresta's 70, yet they could only muster one shot on target. Floresta, by contrast, hit four shots on target and converted one of them.
The match grew increasingly physical after the interval. Dheimison received a yellow card in the fifty-third minute, followed by Buga at fifty-seven and Matheus Lagoa at seventy-five. Anapolis non-player was cautioned at seventy-six, while Nonato and Danrley picked up bookings in the closing stages at eighty and eighty-five respectively.
Floresta's defensive resilience was notable given their recent form. They had conceded four goals in their last outing against Ipiranga-RS, but this time they held firm. The hosts worked a short corner in the search for a second goal but could not break through Anapolis's back line.
The statistics tell a familiar story of cup football: one team dominates possession while the other takes their chances. Floresta's three-4 shots on target compared to Anapolis's single attempt suggests the visitors found no answer when it mattered most. The away side's eight shots off target indicate they worked themselves up for crosses they never reached.
The result leaves Floresta on thirty points, five clear of the relegation zone, while Anapolis sit nineteen points behind the leaders. The hosts extended their unbeaten run to four games, having drawn three of their last five fixtures. Anapolis's three-match winning streak came to an end against a side that sat deep and soaked it up.