ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The plan was a good one, in theory.

While New Mexico United entered Saturday night’s game against Las Vegas Lights FC at Isotopes Park knowing it was going to need help to reach the 2019 USL Championship Playoffs, there was to be no announcement of what was happening in the games featuring San Antonio FC or the LA Galaxy II – one of which needed to drop points to allow NMU a pathway to the postseason – on the Public Address.

The club’s front office even asked the almost 14,000 fans on hand – many of whom had one eye on what was happening elsewhere as their club’s fate hung in the balance – to not chant about any potential good news coming from elsewhere.

But with his side a goal ahead at halftime – and San Antonio’s 2-2 draw with Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC having gone final, providing the break New Mexico needed – United Head Coach Troy Lesesne called an audible.

“[I made] a rookie, first-year coach decision to tell the guys,” he said.

It didn’t matter. Putting in one of its best performances of the season, goals by Chris Wehan and Devon Sandoval got the party started for the final time on home turf this season in a 2-0 victory that potentially provided a key to any postseason success that might arrive in the next few weeks.

“I think past few games, we got in our own heads a little bit, thinking that we have to win,” said NMU forward David Estrada. “But tonight, we played with a certain kind of freedom, knowing that we are going to take care of business. The fact that we had 13,000-plus people here was incredible and was instrumental.”

Wehan’s goal just before halftime broke the tension as he capitalized on a collision between Las Vegas goalkeeper Tommy Olsen and defender Gabe Robinson as they both went for a cross by Josh Suggs from the left, allowing the former University of New Mexico standout to fire home calmly.

The insurance marker, while scored by Sandoval, came through the industry of Daniel Bruce, who provided a burst of energy late after coming on for Santi Moar. Bruce chased down possession on the left side as the game became stretched, cut inside his defender and fired a low shot that squeezed under Olsen as he tried to save, allowing Sandoval to score maybe the easiest of his 11 league goals this season from a yard away with three minutes to go.

“I got a little choked up when I saw the ball cross that line on that second goal because I knew we were in,” said Estrada. “We came here to make a difference in this community and making playoffs in the first year sets a precedent for the rest of the history of this team.”