Racing Club crushed by Santa Fe

Racing Club crushed by Santa Fe

Published Mar. 25, 2012 1:00 a.m. ET

Matias Martinez scored an own goal after just nine seconds and goalkeeper Enrique Bologna missed two penalty kicks as Union Santa Fe beat Racing Club 3-0 in a dramatic Argentinian Clausura match.

Union surged forward from the kick-off and playmaker Paulo Rosales chipped the ball towards striker Diego Jara who had darted towards the penalty spot, but it was a touch from Martinez which proved decisive as the ball trickled over the line.

Jorge Velazquez doubled Union's lead in the 19th minute with a powerful finish high into the net from six yards after neat build-up, and it should have been 3-0 in the 43rd minute when the visitors were awarded a penalty.

Bologna swapped his duties at one end for spot-kick responsibilities, but his strike was saved by Diego Sebastian Saja.

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However the home defence had encroached before the penalty was taken, so Bologna was handed another chance, only to thunder his shot yards over the crossbar.

Union did find a third goal four minutes into the second half as Jara headed in a cross from the right, before being reduced to 10 men when Juan Pablo Cardenas was dismissed after 55 minutes.

Racing were then handed a penalty in the 74th minute, but Teofilo Gutierrez missed the spot-kick twice, with Bologna defying him initially but being penalised for coming off his line, before the home striker missed the target.

Elsewhere, Atletico Rafaela won 2-1 at home against San Lorenzo, with goals from Fabricio Fontanini in the 39th minute and German Caceres in the 86th minute. San Lorenzo had taken a seventh-minute lead through Carlos Bueno.

Belgrano Cordoba were held 1-1 by San Martin San Juan in another incident-filled match.

Belgrano had Ribair Rodriguez sent off in the 48th minute, and when Christian Alvarez scored an 89th-minute penalty for the visitors it looked set to decide the outcome.

But there was a twist to come, and Claudio Perez confidently netted a stoppage-time penalty for Belgrano to secure a point.

On Friday, Banfield climbed off the foot of the table with a goalless draw against All Boys.

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