Locomotive FC blanks Real Monarchs SLC, 1-0

(Courtesy: El Paso Locomotive FC)

EL PASO, Texas - El Paso Locomotive FC (14-2-8, 50 points) earned three points on a 1-0 win against Real Monarchs at Southwest University Park on Wednesday night.

Real Monarchs redirected a cross from defender Eder Borelli into their own goal for the lone goal of the night.

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Logan Ketterer made one lone save for his seventh clean sheet of the season.

“The plan was almost perfect,” said head coach and technical director Mark Lowry. “We should have two-nil up after 30 minutes. That was the plan. Get the ball into the box to Aaron [Gomez] and Leandro [Carrijo], cross a lot of balls – we did that and we did it well. It just didn’t seem to go into the net. It’s nil-nil at halftime, which is going to make for a cagey second half no matter who you play against. Monarchs have probably given us more problems than any team in this group.”

Locomotive dominated the flow of the match, finding a quick chance with incredible passing from defenders Mechack Jerome and Borelli to find forward Aaron Gomez who flicked a header just wide.

Through the opening thirty minutes, defender Andrew Fox would also take a headed effort that pinged the crossbar while forward Leandro Carrijo's chance forced Monarchs’ goalkeeper Jimmy Slayton into a massive save.

While the Monarchs switched on for a moment in the second half, testing Ketterer into a big save, Los Locos soon reclaimed control of the game, pressing the ball in the Monarchs half.

The Monarchs' defense had the answers to the Locomotive attack, however, keeping El Paso out of the net for the opening 15 minutes of the second half.

The pressure paid off though as Borelli sent a low cross across the face of goal that ended deflected by Monarchs man Ibrahim Bance for an own goal.

That scoreline would hold until the end of the 90 minutes, gifting El Paso the 1-0 win and the three points.

UP NEXT: El Paso Locomotive heads to Colorado Springs to take on Switchbacks FC at Weidner Field this Saturday. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. MT and will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN

ELP: Ibrahim Bancé (Own Goal), 68th minute: During high pressure from El Paso Locomotive, Defender Eder Borelli sent a low cross across the face of goal where Bancé mistimed his clearance, redirecting the ball into his own net for an El Paso goal.