Having dropped from top spot in the Peruvian Primera Division with their 4-3 home defeat to Cristal in round seven, Aurich responded with a 4-0 triumph at bottom club Los Caimanes on Sunday to claim third position in the standings.
A stunning 14th-minute strike from Oscar Vilchez got Aurich going in Chiclayo and although Los Caimanes dominated the rest of the first half, the visitors completed their victory with three goals after the break.
Aurich moved to 14 points from eight rounds, two behind leaders Melgar, while second-placed Inti Gas have 15.
Melgar drew 2-2 with Inti Gas on Monday with Raul Penalillo scoring a 92nd-minute equaliser for the latter after Ysrael Zuniga's second-half brace had put the league leaders in front, while Union Comercio edged out Universidad San Martin 1-0.
Roberto Mosquera's Aurich sit above Cesar Vallejo, reigning champions Universitario and Cienciano due to their superior goal difference of plus nine.
Vilchez opened the scoring with an audacious half-volley after 13 minutes, taking a pass from German Pacheco just outside the area; juggling the ball with his right foot, then left thigh, before striking with the laces of his right boot over Los Caimanes' goalkeeper Fernando Martinuzzi.
The hosts pinned Aurich back for the rest of the half but after wasting a couple of opportunities, the visitors doubled their lead in controversial circumstances in the 48th minute.
Pacheco went down in the box under pressure from two defenders to earn a spot-kick, although the actual foul appeared to occur outside the penalty area.
Edgar Balbuena smashed his penalty into the net and it was 3-0 just after the hour-mark when Aurich won the ball in the forward third and Jair Cespedes cut in from the left to score.
Los Caimanes was reduced to 10 players in the 76th minute when Marco Casas elbowed Alfredo Rojas on the halfway line and Tarek Carranza scored a minute later, striking from just outside the box.
On a high-scoring day, Cristal claimed a second straight victory, crushing San Simon 6-0 with Carlos Lobaton notching a brace – a week after his remarkable double against Juan Aurich – while Cienciano defeated Cesar Vallejo 2-0.
In other results, Leon de Huanuco, UTC Cajamarca and Universitario all won 1-0 over Sport Huancayo, Real Garcilaso and Alianza Lima respectively.
