ALAJUELA, Costa Rica (Interstat) — Antony Hernandez Gonzalez scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time to give Alajuelense a 1-0 win over AD Municipal Perez Zeledon on Sunday at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto. The goal arrived after a tense match in which clear chances were scarce and the decisive moment came only after the host side had cycled through several second-half substitutions. Hernandez Gonzalez played the full match and recorded the only goal of the game. Alajuelense controlled possession for long stretches but could not turn that advantage into an earlier breakthrough.

Perez Zeledon sat deeper and looked to disrupt rhythm, a plan that produced a series of fouls and yellow cards. Quesada E. was booked for Perez Zeledon in the 31st minute, and Parkins R. of Alajuelense followed in the 32nd. The visitors made the first changes after halftime, with Sequeira B. entering in the 55th minute, Aguirre J. in the 60th and Cordoba J. in the 61st. Alajuelense responded with Pinar F. and Diaz L. in the 65th, Perez C. and Zaldivar A. in the 71st, and Parkins R. in the 79th. Perez Zeledon’s Rodriguez R. also came on in the 67th. The substitutions gave both sides fresh legs in midfield, but neither team found a clean opening during the middle portion of the second half. Alajuelense continued to push numbers forward while Perez Zeledon tried to hold its shape and defend the area in front of its goalkeeper.

The game remained scoreless into the final minutes, and the tension showed. Fernandez W. of Perez Zeledon was cautioned in the 89th minute. Alajuelense then found the breakthrough when Hernandez Gonzalez scored in the 90th minute plus four. The goal was the defining play of the match and left the visitors with little time to respond. Two Alajuelense yellow cards were issued in the 90th minute plus eight as the hosts closed out the result. The win kept Alajuelense unbeaten in the competition and extended the club’s solid run across all competitions. Alajuelense’s season record in this competition is now three wins, no losses and two draws, while its record across all competitions is three wins, no losses and three draws. Perez Zeledon’s season record in this competition is now no wins and three losses, matching its record across all competitions. The visitors remained without a win in the competition and across all competitions after another difficult result.

Alajuelense entered the match after a 0-0 draw at Motagua, a 3-2 win at Inter San Carlos, a 1-1 draw with Herediano and a 1-1 draw at Puntarenas FC. Perez Zeledon had lost to Herediano 3-0 and to Escorpiones 4-1. The home side’s recent form and the venue setting shaped the match, with Alajuelense probing and Perez Zeledon defending in numbers. Still, Alajuelense needed patience and the late goal to secure the result. The goal from Hernandez Gonzalez was the only scoring play recorded in the match, and it came after the visitors had weathered most of the host’s pressure. The match was played at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Alajuela, and Alajuelense used the familiar setting to keep the visitors under sustained pressure for much of the second half, though the final pass often eluded the hosts until the closing sequence. That pressure finally told in stoppage time.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Alajuelense 2, AD Municipal Perez Zeledon 1. Interstat’s ELO system projected Alajuelense with a 94.7 percent probability to win. Alajuelense had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 1 went over the over/under line of 2.75.