Botafogo put a further nail in the Figueirense coffin on Wednesday night, consigning the Catarinense side to a 2-0 home defeat that leaves them four points adrift of Palmeiras and eight points from safety.
In the first-half it had been Figueirense pushing for a win and, indeed, they struck the post through a fine effort from star of the 2011 Brasileirão Júlio César. The visitors rode their luck and never more-so than when the usually clinical Roni missed the chance to breath hope into the hosts with Jefferson’s goal gaping.
The goals for Botafogo, though, came in an end-to-end second period, with in-form 18-year-old Bruno Mendes firing home on the rebound on the hour-mark, after fine work from Uruguay midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro in the build-up, to give the visitors the lead.
The game was then put beyond doubt by a player at the other end of the age scale, as Dutchman Clarence Seedorf reacted to a poor clearance from the Figueirense defence to fire past the stranded Wilson and double the advantage.
The result leaves Botafogo in seventh, with only a remote chance of achieving a top-four finish, whilst Figueirense will know that time is running out on their Série A life unless they can dramatically change their fortunes in the coming weeks.
FIGUEIRENSE: Wilson; Elsinho, João Paulo (Gutti 48′), Canuto, Hélder; Jackson, Túlio, Botti (Thiaguinho 60′), Roni; Julio Cesar (William Potker 46′), Aloísio. Coach: Márcio Goiano.
BOTAFOGO: Jefferson; Lucas (Marcelo Mattos 86′), Antônio Carlos, Dória, Lima; Gabriel, Jadson, Lodeiro (Fellype Gabriel 72′), Seedorf, Andrezinho (Renato 81′); Bruno Mendes. Coach: Oswaldo de Oliveira.
