AMATITLÁN, Guatemala (Interstat) — Hector Morales scored twice in the second half as Aurora F.C. rallied from a halftime deficit to beat Deportivo San Pedro 3-1 on Sunday at Estadio Guillermo Slowing. Deportivo San Pedro had taken the lead in the first half, but Aurora F.C. responded after the break and added a late goal to close out the home victory.

Deportivo San Pedro went ahead in the 27th minute when Romario Gomez scored. The visitors held that advantage through halftime after Gomez’s 27th-minute goal. Aurora F.C. had already been shown two yellow cards before the break, with Moran booked in the 19th minute and Flores C. booked in the 31st. The halftime changes for Aurora F.C. brought Aguilar L., Echeverria Perez A. J. and Moran into the match at the start of the second half, and the home side quickly found a different rhythm.

Morales equalized in the 47th minute, finishing the move that changed the momentum of the game. He struck again in the 55th minute to put Aurora F.C. ahead, completing a rapid turnaround after Deportivo San Pedro had protected its lead for much of the first half. Morales was replaced in the 75th minute after his two-goal performance, with the home side protecting a narrow advantage.

Deportivo San Pedro made a series of changes after the hour mark, with Fajardo J., Macal E. and Calderon L. introduced in the 62nd minute and Aguila G. following in the 68th. Gaitan M. also entered in the 80th minute. Those adjustments could not produce an equalizer, and San Pedro’s task became harder in the 83rd minute when de Leon B. was booked. Two minutes later, de Leon B. was sent off, leaving Deportivo San Pedro with 10 players for the closing stretch. With the man advantage, Aurora F.C. controlled the closing minutes and found the final goal in stoppage time.

Aurora F.C. sealed the result when Ibarguen scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time. The goal capped a strong second-half display and ensured the home side took all three points. Aurora F.C. also made late changes, including Vivas J. in the fourth minute of stoppage time, as it closed out the win. The result moved Aurora F.C. to 7 wins and 8 losses in this competition and across all competitions. Deportivo San Pedro’s record in this competition and across all competitions is now 1 win, 3 losses and 1 draw.

Aurora F.C. entered the match after a scoreless draw at Suchitepequez and had beaten Comunicaciones and Xelaju in consecutive competition matches before that draw. Deportivo San Pedro had drawn at Suchitepequez in its previous competition match and had won one of its first four competition matches, with losses to Xelaju and Guastatoya also on its recent record. Aurora F.C. remains scheduled to visit Malacateco in its next league match before another match at Suchitepequez. The home side’s second-half comeback was the defining stretch of the game, with Morales’s two goals turning the match after San Pedro had led at the break. The victory gave Aurora F.C. a second win in its last three competition matches. The result left Deportivo San Pedro still seeking consistent form in league play and Aurora F.C. with momentum.

The match had been preceded by Interstat’s projections. The game simulator had projected a final score of Deportivo San Pedro 2, Aurora F.C. 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Aurora F.C. with a 69.6 percent probability to win. Aurora F.C. had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 4 went under the over-under line of 2.5.