Another Aragonese in the second round of the Copa del Rey. The Ejea deservedly beat the Hercules to sign his continuity in the tournament and thus receive in Luchán a one of the 20 best teams in Spanish soccer in their return to the Cup twelve years later. The man in charge of scoring the winning goal in the history of the club from Zaragoza was Rodri Valafter a great individual play.
After a long wait, the long-awaited day arrived for all the people from Axis. Since September 2012, the Cinco Villas did not know what it was like to compete in this competition, after visiting and losing to the then Llagostera. Thus, today they played the first round of the tournament against a historic Spanish soccer team such as Hercules. -now in the RFEF First Division-, after the circumstances caused by the DANA prevented the alicantinos from being able to get back to winning ways sooner.
The first instants of the match were played by a Hercules dominated with the ballbut without reaching the opponent’s area with clarity. As the minutes went by, Ejea began to grow and play as they know how to in Luchán. In this way, before the first quarter of an hour had elapsed Diaby and Carbonell were warning from the front and each set-piece opportunity became a threat thanks to the glove on his foot that has Carrascoone of the names in this start of the Second RFEF.
It was hard for the Alicante team to get into the game. The high block pressure of the Iván Martínez and the little habit of competing in artificial grass The visitors’ offensive actions were difficult and it was not until after half an hour of the match when they shot for the first time. Minutes earlier, the controversy of the first half: Carrasco put in a candy looking for the head of Iglesias, who was brought down inside the area.Was it enough to be a penalty? The referee decreed that it was not.
With the score at zero and with some long-range shots, a first half ended in which the Zaragoza team was superiorbut neither team had great chances to take the lead.
SECOND HALF ALSO FOR EJEA
Ejea started again more in tune, winning duels and trying from distance. In fact, a Hakim’s shot/clearance was poisoned and hit the crossbar. two minutes after the restart. The first for the Valencian team came in the 56th minute when Aranda’s shot hit Diaby and went just wide of the post.
If anyone deserved to take the lead, it was undoubtedly Ejea, and with 20 minutes to go, the prize would come. Rodri Val received from the right flank, went into the area and defined perfectly to the far post to make the 1-0. The Aragonese grew and as soon as they took a cross, Hercules was about to make a mistake after a mistake in the goalkeeper’s control.
The last part of the duel was played by continuous stoppages, many changes and, in short, an Ejea in no hurry to attack.. The goal was to make as few things as possible happen, and the Alicante side came very close to equalizing in stoppage time, again in desperation, as the visitors were unable to combine in three quarters of the pitch. Mangada from 25 meters tried with a spectacular strike, but Troya came up with a great save. to give the Blue and Whites the qualification.
In this way, Iván Martínez’s team sealed their passage to the next stage of the tournament to become the fourth representative of Aragon in this second round of the Copa del Rey, together with the Real Zaragozathe S.D. Huesca and U.D. Barbastro. As a prize, they will receive at their home ground a First Division, after beating a team from another category, the same story as those from Somontano.
TECHNICAL DATA
S.D. Ejea: Troya; Tudela, Diaby, Ginoves, A. Sola; Hakim, Carrasco (Fadel, min 87′), Iglesias; Rodri Val (Isaac, min 84′), Ramón López (Fedior, min 66′), Carbonell (Palmás, min 66′).
Hercules C.F.: Almodóvar; Cantero, Sotillos, Josema, Retu (De Palmas, min 84′); Alvarito (Nico, min 64′), Mario (Mangada, min 46′), Artiles, Aranda (Coscia, min 73′); Javi Moreno (Soldevilla, min 64′), M. Mendes.
Referee: Gorka Etayo. Yellow cards to Retu (min 15′), Ramón López (min 45+1′), Hakim (min 59′), Mangada (min 89′), Diaby (min 90′), Isaac (min 90+4′).
Goals: 1-0, Rodri Val (min 71′).