Orihuela seized a chance as they moved to Lebrija, riding a wave of solid form built over recent days. Antoniano dictated the tempo from the opening whistle, pressing high and targeting Aitor Arias, who had to wrestle with set-piece routines that remain a clear strength for the Andalusian side.
A sustained run of good form for Orihuela
INFORMATION
The hosts showcased their strength with Ángel delivering the corner that sparked the opening goal. Pedro Melli rose to head past Arias, confirming Orihuela’s early dominance from set pieces. The Alicante goalkeeper then denied a second goal, keeping the scoreline tense. Although Orihuela pressed more aggressively in the latter part of the first half, Óscar Sánchez’s men managed only a handful of real chances and carried a narrow lead into the break.
In the second half, Orihuela wasted little time flipping the script. Barely three minutes were on the clock when Damián set up a fine finish, while Juanmi Callejón restored parity shortly after to bring the match level at 1-1.
2-1, very soon
Yet the celebrations were short-lived. The visitors quickly regained momentum as Sebas pounced on a loose ball in the Scorpions’ half to beat Arias and edge Antoniano back in front. Orihuela found themselves once again fighting uphill, chasing the current of the game.
Aniño Orihuela favorable to the team at the bottom (2-0)
Despite trailing, Orihuela’s play kept the upper hand and Álvaro earned a second yellow card just before the half-hour mark, widening the tactical gap. Antoniano defended resolutely to protect their lead, while the visitors tried to carve out chances through Brian and Revilla. A later scoring chance from Revilla skimmed just wide of the post, keeping the scoreline in the home team’s favor.
As the clock wound down, Orihuela intensified their attempts to claw back something from the game. A well-placed header from Fran Martínez near the end forced a key stop from the hosts, sealing the result as Óscar Sánchez’s squad closed out the victory with precision.
MATCH SUMMARY
ANTONIANO ATHLETIC: Brian; Álvaro Caro, Guti, Pedro Melli, Juanfran, Javi, Espinar, Sebas (Nacho, 72′), Ángel, Barrios and Jesús García (Ricky, 63′).
ORIHUELA: Aitor Arias; Damián, Fran Martínez, Revilla, Ayo, Armando (Camacho, 64′), Brian Pallarés, Juanmi Callejón (Jawed, 67′), De las Cuevas (Jamie, 67′), Marc Sirera and Mendi (Nacho Muñoz, 64′).
GOALS: 1-0 (12′) Pedro Melli. 1-1 (48′) Juanmi Callejón. 2-1 (52′) Sebas.
REFEREE: Thierry Torres Rodríguez. Guti cautioned Ángel and Revilla. Caro was substituted (59′).
STADIUM: Municipality (Lebrija).