Two wins that felt deserved and a draw. Seven points secured from a possible nine. The mood around Hercules CF, led with steady hands by Lolo Escobar, is uplifting as a blue-and-white banner rises. The recent stretch, crowned by a return from a 2-0 home setback, marks a milestone not seen since 2008 for a Hercules coach, signaling how meaningful the success achieved at Camp Nou de Morvedre has become for the club and its supporters.
Hercules CF: January scrutiny
Pedro Rojas
Hercules sailed to victory on Sunday in Sagunto. Even though they conceded twice early on, they could not leave Alicante with a win, as the Roma team tightened the score to 2-3. Youth products stepped forward with purpose: John Paul, positioned as center forward after Ander Vitoria exited in the first half, alongside Felipe Chacartegui and Tuscany delivered key strikes in the 93rd minute, turning a tense second-half situation into a beneficial result for the visitors. The turnaround was immediate, the squad locking in effort as soon as play resumed.
The last time Hercules found themselves in a comparable position and still secured a win came in the Second Division, on a day in Rose Garden when they faced Málaga on matchday 38 of the 2007-2008 season. That encounter finished 4-6, favoring the people of Alicante and leaving a memory of resilience in the club’s archives.
With two quick goals, the home side briefly took the initiative. Antonio Hidalgo, directing Hercules in the first 25 minutes, saw Andoni Goikoetxea pull Madrid’s band into distance with Ismail. Yet, after a spell, Helder Rosario, the Malaguista forward, nudged the balance back toward Málaga. In a frantic second act, Sendoa, Ion Velázquez, Farinos (from a penalty), and Ismael (for the second time) launched a comeback that culminated with Hidalgo’s third, a hat-trick that nevertheless could not secure a three-point haul for his team.
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A journey mirroring past chapters, Sagunto’s opening-day clash of the 1998-99 season in the Second B offered a familiar scene of Alicante’s club fighting to reassert itself in a demanding league. Sergio Egea guided the visitors to a 2-3 win, with goals listed in the first half by card deck Y and series, and the final phase saw Rod and Djukanovic turning the scoreboard in their favor in the last 11 minutes. The sense of persistence rings through the echoes of that campaign as Hercules again steps onto a stage where every goal and save matters.
Two years ago, Hercules illuminated what may have been one of the brightest comebacks in their away-history ledger. From Camp Nou to Barcelona, a club that winter night stood at the edge of history. That Monday, January 13, 1997, marked the 19th matchday as Ronaldo and Luis Enrique struck early against Pavlik, Visnjic, and Rodriguez. The victory, spectacular as it was, did not prevent a relegation to a lower tier months later, yet the memory remains a testament to the club’s fighting spirit and the capacity to conjure moments of brilliance when the odds are stacked against them (citation: club archives).