In the first game of the season at El Alcoraz, Sociedad Deportiva Huesca fans were shell-shocked when the referee pointed to the spot for the second time in the evening, this time in the 96th. Huesca paid it very dearly, after a game where Ziganda’s men had had to row upstream at all times but cancelled out Cartagena goals twice by means of Kanté and Gerard Valentín.
Although the Altoaragoneses produced a good performance in the early stages, Cartagena took the lead when Ortuño scored past Andrés converting from the spot. The hosts grew into the game in the first 45, looking to combine with Kanté and Escriche. Soko created danger after a corner, when he tried to hit the ball first time but it went wide. The Oscenses kept the faith and Kanté levelled matters in the injury time before the interval. Soko assisted and the Frenchman burst ahead of the defence to find the net for the first time of the season.
The first half ended with SD Huesca celebrating, but after the restart Cartagena proved themselves to be a combative side. It was then when ‘Cuco’ Ziganda decided to make a triple substitution to find a reaction in his men. Gerard Valentín came on for Andrei Ratiu, who was forced off with injury, and Kevin Carlos and Óscar Sielva joined the action as well. The hosts seemed to have reacted thanks to the changes but, just like in the first half, it was Ortuño who grabbed a second for Cartagena. In order to play a more fluid game, Kento and Juan Villar were the last two men to step in. That’s how Gerard Valentín pulled Ziganda’s side level after an individual play. The Azulgranas looked set to earn a hard-fought point from a tight game at El Alcoraz, only for a late breakaway to seal their fate, the winner for the visitors coming with almost the last kick of the game. Kento was adjudged to have fouled Tejera in the Cartagena box and Sadiku smashed the spot-kick home to make Huesca give up all hope.
