Entering the final five minutes, San Antonio FC had done everything it needed to earn a good road result against Western Conference leader New Mexico United.

It had battled back from a subpar first half display to level the game twice as Mitchell Taintor converted from the penalty spot and Rece Buckmaster capitalized on a rebound opportunity with 14 minutes to go.

It had weathered United’s response, with goalkeeper Richard Sanchez making a pair of good saves to keep the game level before his defense held New Mexico without a shot in the following 10 minutes.

And then, the visitors became the masters of their own demise, succumbing to a 4-2 defeat at Isotopes Park almost in the blink of an eye.

“We came back from a goal [down] twice in the game,” said SAFC Head Coach Carlos Llamosa, “and then the last five minutes of the game, we throw it away.”

• MIDFIELD MISTAKE: San Antonio was reduced to 10 players in the 88th minute when Luis Paredes received his second yellow card of the game, pulling back New Mexico’s Marlon Vargas 35 yards from goal despite SAFC’s five-player back line sitting in position to respond.

• MISSED ASSIGNMENT: New Mexico immediately capitalized, adding to the pressure that San Antonio had withstood over the final 15 minutes. Swinging possession patiently around the top of the penalty area, the hosts created space for McKinze Gaines to deliver a cross from the right that found Luiz Fernando unmarked at the back post to put United ahead

• FINAL BLOW: Sensing blood in the water, New Mexico immediately regained possession from SAFC’s ensuing kickoff, releasing Fernando into space in the left channel. The Brazilian played Gaines into the penalty area, and after receiving a return pass as he arrived in support played a backheel that allowed Vargas to lift the ball over a sliding challenge and shoot home.

For a San Antonio side that would have remained within a point of top spot of the Western Conference with a draw, it was a bitter ending after a stirring second-half response.

Having struggled to come to grips with New Mexico in the first half – where the hosts took the lead early through Jaylin Lindsey and could have added to their lead on a pair of one-on-one opportunities for Fernando and Mukwelle Akale that both went astray – San Antonio’s adjustments worked effectively.

“In the first half, in terms of fight and intensity, I think they were better than us,” said Llamosa. “In the second half, we were good, winning second balls. We played man-to-man in the back, and we won basically 90 percent of the challenges. We collected second balls, and pressing, at some point, they changed. Instead of playing from the back, they started playing long balls. We forced them to play long balls.”

For New Mexico, however, the decision to go more vertical was calculated. After Buckmaster leveled, putting away a close-range rebound after New Mexico’s Alex Tambakis could only parry a long-range effort by Luke Haakenson, going more directly helped United tilt the field in its favor.

Over the final 15 minutes and stoppage time, New Mexico not only held 75.8 percent of possession, but pinned San Antonio in, with 43.8 percent of the action taking place in New Mexico’s attack third.

“A lot of teams are on the front foot against us because they know we like to pass the ball on the ground,” said Akale, who ended the night with a goal and assist. “We’re trying to diversify our game by playing it behind a lot and that works. So sometimes behind, sometimes to feet and the defenders don't know what to do, so if we can improve on doing both of those, we'll have chances every match.”

As New Mexico solidified its place at the top of the West, San Antonio was left knowing it left points on the table that could come back to be crucial in its bid to return to the league’s elite later this season.

“In the last five minutes, the red card and then the decisions threw the game away when we were a few minutes away from getting a point in a tough venue with a man down,” said Llamosa.