Alcoyano Earns a Draw as Villarreal B Holds Steady
Alcoyano failed to convert a goalless encounter against Villarreal B into three points, despite producing moments that suggested a decisive breakthrough. The result kept the group’s pace steady and left Alcoyano still chasing a push toward promotion in LaLiga SmartBank. The visitors managed to escape with a draw, but the performance contained enough ups and downs to leave both sides reflecting on what could have been.
Across the match, Deportivo moved one step forward and then two steps back, unable to string together a sustained run that might bridge the gap to promotion. The spirit of the clash suggested both teams understood the stakes, yet neither side could unlock the match’s tempo to ensure a win. This was a contest where the dream of promotion hovered, even as the scoreboard stayed stubbornly level.
Few clear scoring chances punctuated the game, though the hosts did press early and often, testing the visiting defense with persistent threat. Alcoyano appeared to have the sharper thrust in the opening phase, though the ball sometimes eluded them at critical moments, denying a potential opener that could have changed the complexion of the afternoon.
The local side applied pressure in waves, but luck and precision did not align when it mattered most. Early in the contest a strong counterattack produced a long-range drive that tested the goalkeeper and kept the scoreline intact. Murad then created a late chance of the first period by arriving at a loose ball, yet conversion eluded him and the moment faded as the teams prepared for the break. Tony Abad also tried to arrive at a crucial delivery but could not reach a finishing touch in time, leaving the interval with honours even.
After the restart the game maintained its balanced feel, though Alcoyano still carried the greater threat. The match remained tight, with both sides aware that a single moment could decide the result. Mourad produced a handful of attempts, but the tempo of the game did not bend in favor of decisive breakthroughs. A set-piece header from Gabarre, crafted by Pablo Carbonell, represented one of Villarreal B’s rare, decisive moments in attack, but it did not swing the outcome.
Control alternated, yet neither team could impose a sustained offensive rhythm. Villarreal B, while unable to notch a goal on the day, continued to be the division’s most prolific scorer with forty-six goals, a reminder of the underlying threat they posed. Alcoyano’s defensive discipline kept their opponents at bay for long stretches, limiting the yellow front line to sporadic attempts and denying a clear pathway to victory for more than ninety minutes.
José Juan stood tall for Alcoyano, delivering reliable stops that kept the hosts in contention. Yet the balance between defense and attack remained elusive for Parra’s men. They balanced a strong defensive effort with the need to translate that solidity into important scoring chances, a link that would have required a sharper finishing touch and more precise finishing decisions in the final third.
In several sequences the ball simply refused to cooperate, and bad luck or a slight miscalculation prevented the hosts from converting pressure into favorable outcomes. Alcoyano often found themselves closer to a breakthrough than Villarreal B, but from start to finish the match underscored the difficulty of turning field dominance into goals, especially in a match as tight as this one. In the end, the game ended as it began, with both sides sharing the points and the sense that more could have been claimed with just a bit more fortune or a cleaner execution in the final act.
The result, given the quality of the opposition, is not disastrous for the home side. Yet a closer reading of the game leaves players and fans alike pondering missed opportunities and the delicate balance between defensive resolve and attacking efficiency that can decide crucial matches in this league. The feeling persists among supporters that a win could have been within reach on another afternoon, when the balance tips a bit more toward the attacking end of the spectrum.
Following this draw Alcoyano sits on forty points, maintaining a middle-table position while remaining five points adrift of promotion and equally five clear of relegation thresholds.
Upcoming travels will take Alcoyano to Castellón in a tough away assignment against an opponent four points ahead in the standings. The first round, played in February, had ended in a draw after a match postponed from the opening day, signaling that this next meeting could again hold a delicate balance between teams seeking a decisive result.
DATA SHEET
ALKOYANO: José Juan, Toni Abad, Primi, Raúl, Pablo Carbonell, Imanol, Juanan, Andy, Ángel López, Dani Vega, Murad. Substitutes: Lillo, 88; Juli, 88; Gabarre, 62; Luis Castillo, 78; Antón, 62.
VILLARREAL B: Gianni Cassaro, Pablo Íñiguez, Adrián de la Fuente, Martín Pascual, Miguel Ángel Leal, Antonio Pacheco, Carlo Adriano, Alberto del Moral, Dani Tasende, Sergio Lozano, Álex Forés, Junhyuk. Substitutes: Diego Collado, 64; Arana, 83.
JUDGE: Armando Ramo Andres, from Zaragoza. Yellow Cards: Ángel López and Sergio and Pascual.
STADIUM: cola
Source: match report and official notes from the game, compiled for record and analysis. These details summarize the contest and its key moments as observed by match officials and team observers.