Eldense continued to lead the second group of the First Federation after a 1-0 victory over Sabadell, a win sealed by Cris Montes from a penalty kick. The match favored Fernando Estévez’s side for long stretches, though Sabadell managed to stay competitive until Alberto Fernández received a straight red in the 84th minute, reducing them to ten men and sparking protests from Sabadell’s coach Miki Lladó, who deservedly drew attention for his reaction. The result kept the Azulgrana atop the standings as the morning’s results had Castellsón beating Atlético Baleares, tightening the battle at the top and leaving Eldense with the pressure to reclaim first place.
Eldense approached the contest from a position of pressure, needing three points to reclaim the summit after the other early game showed Castillón edging ahead. The home side showed discipline and focus from the opening whistle, pressing high and denying Sabadell any easy forays, displaying a seriousness that defined their approach throughout the ninety minutes. The flow of the game favored Eldense, who controlled possession and created the clearer chances without breaking Sabadell’s resolve. The opening exchanges demonstrated Sabadell’s resilience, with the visitors almost finding space on quick counters but lacking a decisive finish.
The match began with an immediate warning as Alberto Fernández struck the post just five minutes in. Eldense answered with a fluent, sustained assault, keeping Sabadell pinned back and limiting danger in the final third until the 15th minute when a coordinated move with Núñez Correia produced a shot that skimmed wide.
From there, Sergio Ortuño ventured forward from distance on multiple occasions, testing Adrián Ortolá and nearly catching the Sabadell goalkeeper off guard in a long-range effort that required a sharp reaction. A subsequent half-chance from Cris Montes also threatened from behind the goal line, and Eldense’s pressure persisted, with Adrián Ortolá showing his reliability to deny a late corner from Nieto as the first half closed with Sabadell focused on counterattacks and Eldense on building the play through centralized control.
After the break, Eldense continued to pursue a decisive counterattack. Sabadell had the clearest moment in the 54th minute when Alberto Fernández struck the crossbar, momentarily swinging momentum Sabadell’s way and testing Eldense’s resolve to hold the lead.
penalty and goal
In response, Eldense found a swift solution: Montes earned a penalty after a clever approach, and Montes himself converted the spot kick, placing Eldense ahead and restoring the initiative in the match. The goal reinvigorated the home side, who then maintained control and delivered the performance needed to cement the victory and reclaim top spot in the table.
El Alcoyano added a point and remained just outside the relegation danger after a hardened 1-1 draw, a result shaped by discipline and strategic organization. The late drama came in the 84th minute when Alberto Fernández received a red card for a foul on Joel Jorquera. The sending-off triggered protests from Miki Lladó, the Sabadell coach, who also faced discipline for his reaction. The game concluded with Eldense at home unbeaten and preparing for a difficult trip to Tarragona the following day to face Nàstic, a match that would demand a goal to ease relegation fears for the visitors.
match report
ELDENSE: Guille Vallejo, Toni Abad, Cris Montes (Fran Carnicer, 79), Sergio Ortuño (Jesús Clemente, 79), Manu Nieto, Carlos Hernández, Miguel Núñez (Álex Bernal, 58), Diego González, Rubén Correia, Juanto Ortuño (Pedro Capó, 69) and Cristian López (Joel Jorquera, 58).
SABADELL: Adrián Ortolá, Pau Resta (Sergi Altimira, 67), César Morgado, Guillem Molina, Moha Keita, Cristian Herrera (David Astals, 66), Ricard Pujol, Raúl Baena (Armando Corbalán, 46) (Jaume Piñol, 79), Adán Gurdiel (Marc Vargas, 66), Alberto Fernández and Álex Sala.
GOAL: 1-0 (66) Cris Montes, penalty kick.
REFEREE: Salvador Lax Franco. Miguel Núñez cautioned César Morgado, Álex Sala and Adrián Ortolá. Alberto Fernández was sent off (84) and Miki Lladó (Sabadell coach, 85).
STADIUM: New Pepico Amat.