The Alcoyano side earned a draw by controlling the tempo and finding balance between offense and defense. Playing at the Nuevo Los Pajaritos stadium in Soria, the visitors relied on a compact plan as they closed down space and sought chances on the break. Alcoyano managed to stay undefeated and kept the scoreboard clean, with seven points secured from two goals in three matches. The home team Numancia aimed to disrupt the rhythm but found little room to breathe in a match that demanded discipline on both ends of the pitch. Among the squad, Imanol Garcia was sidelined due to an injury sustained against Barça B, while Pedro Sanchez did not feature in the lineup after missing the pre-season. This left the tactical battle to the rest of the squad, with coach Imanol’s plan still seeking its best execution.
The opening minutes were lively and fraught with ambition. Just four minutes in, a potential opening arrived for Numancia through a dangerous cross from Dani Sánchez that required a deflection or a clearance to prevent danger. On the other side, Alcoyano sent a dangerous ball into the box from a corner, with Raúl arriving a touch too late to redirect it under pressure. The tone of the game suggested that both teams could break the deadlock at any moment, and neither side found a clear advantage as the action moved from end to end.
As the match progressed, opportunities began to stack up for Vicente Parras’s units. Fifteen minutes into the first half, a header from Alkaine forced Isma Gil into a sharp reaction to push the ball away from danger after a set-piece scenario. Jordi Tour came close to converting a pivot play that finished with a corner after a well-crafted move, underscoring the fatigue-resistant attitude of both teams as they hunted for late opportunities before the break.
Gradually Numancia started to gain a foothold, generating pressure and testing the Alcoyano defense with long-range efforts that tested the visitors’ resolve. A strike from around thirty yards required two clean touches from the keeper to ensure there was no rebound, a sign of the host’s growing belief that they could pierce the visitors’ defensive line. The visitors, however, remained vigilant and disciplined, experimenting with quick transitions whenever possible while avoiding risky mistakes that could undo their solid defensive work.
The first half finished with neither side finding the crucial breakthrough, and the teams headed to the locker rooms with a goalless scoreline that reflected the evenly matched nature of the contest. The second half opened with similar intensity, as Numancia pressed higher and Alcoyano remained sharp going forward, looking for counterattacking chances that could swing the result in their favor. The decisive moment arrived in the 68th minute when Vicente Parras unleashed a well-timed counterattack that placed Alcoyano ahead. Raul Gonzalez managed to convert the opportunity and lift the mood of the visiting bench, while Agüero displayed his quality by maneuvering past two defenders before test-firing a shot that forced a reaction from the defense and kept his side ahead.
Control
From that moment, Alcoyano expertly managed the clock, forcing Numancia to chase the game as time wore on. The visitors sat back a touch more, inviting pressure while staying compact to withstand any late push from the home side. The match reached a fever pitch during the final moments as the referee added six minutes, a stretch that proved to be the most intense portion of the game. Numancia sought an equalizer but could not find a path through Alcoyano’s organized defense, while the visitors looked to seal the result with careful possession and disciplined defending.
After the final whistle, Alcoyano bagged three points from an important away victory. The club would next travel to face Sabadell at the Collao, aiming to extend their unbeaten run and solidify their position in the early season standings.
DATA SHEET:
(0) CD NUMBER: Isma Gil, Fer Román, Cotán (Bonaldo, 68), Rubén Mesa (Mahicas, 75), Carrillo, Groka, Valin (San Emeterio, 68) David, Jordi Tur (Moha, 75), Dani Sánchez (Jaume Pol, 85) and Mario Boat.
(1) CD ALKOYANO: Bañuz, Álvaro Vega, Raúl, Fran Miranda, Soler (Raúl González, 61), Juanan, Agüero (Rubio, 71), Varela, Lillo, Pablo Carbonell (Primi, 61), and Alcaina (Moyita, 79).
JUDGE: Daniel Palencia Knight. Dani Sánchez for Numancia has received yellow cards to Valin, Mario Barco and Gorka, while Alcoyano saw cautions for Álvaro Vega, Primi and Raúl González.
AIM: 0-1, 68 minutes, Alcaine.
STADIUM: Nuevo Los Pajaritos.