Last-Gasp Equalizer Denies Zamudio: Deportivo Alavés III Salvages Vital Point in Dramatic 2-2 Draw

In the fading light at Estadio Udal Kiroldegia, hope slipped through Zamudio’s grasp. For 90 minutes, the hosts had toiled to stamp their authority, twice seizing the lead, only to see it erased in the final breath by a determined Deportivo Alavés III squad desperate to avoid another defeat. The 2-2 draw on Saturday afternoon carried the feeling of a narrow escape for the visitors, and a win lost for Zamudio—a result that may echo in the weeks ahead for both sides as they chart their fortunes in Group 4 of the Tercera División RFEF.

From the opening whistle, urgency radiated from the pitch. Deportivo Alavés III, entering the match marooned in 16th with just four points from five outings, wasted no time signaling their intent. Their reward arrived early, as an incisive attack carved through the Zamudio defense and produced the game’s first breakthrough in the 10th minute, silencing the home crowd and hinting at an upset.

But for all the promise in their start, Alavés III have shown a penchant this season for conceding leads—and Zamudio, well-acquainted with the rhythms of recovery, responded with characteristic resolve. Just eight minutes later, Zamudio leveled in the 18th minute, capitalizing on a moment of indecision in the visiting back line and restoring faith among the home supporters. It was the sort of response that has defined Zamudio’s campaign thus far: rarely spectacular, but always doggedly competitive.

Momentum ebbed and flowed as the first half wore on, both sides trading possession and probing for weaknesses, but neither could manufacture a second breakthrough before the interval. The tension was palpable—the kind that lingers over teams still searching for an identity as the season’s early stages unfold.

After halftime, Zamudio emerged with a renewed sense of purpose. Their pressing paid off swiftly: in the 54th minute, a cleverly worked sequence down the left flank culminated in their second goal, sending the home fans into raucous celebration. At that moment, Zamudio looked poised to cement their status as one of the league’s more resilient mid-table battlers, a team adept at seizing opportunity when it appeared.

Yet, for all their effort, Zamudio have learned that a two-goal cushion is a luxury rarely afforded in this unforgiving division. Their slender advantage left the match open, and Alavés III, staring at another defeat that would have extended a bleak run, began to throw numbers forward. The visitors’ urgency, so often absent in recent weeks, surfaced just in time.

As the clock ticked into its final minute, with Zamudio fans already tasting victory, Deportivo Alavés III drew level. A searching ball into the penalty area found its target amid a scramble, and the equalizer was swept home from close range. The raw emotion of the moment—a mixture of disbelief and relief—was written across the faces of both sets of players.

The result carries contrasting consequences for each side. For Zamudio, who entered the day ninth in the table with seven points, the frustration is palpable. A second consecutive match at home had seemed an ideal platform for building momentum after last week’s disappointing 1-3 defeat at Aurrerá Vitoria. Instead, familiar frailties in closing out results resurfaced, leaving them with a meager point and lingering doubts about their ability to mount a sustained challenge for the upper reaches of the table.

Their recent record—two wins, one draw, and two defeats in the last five—remains a portrait of inconsistency. Moments of attacking promise are still too often counterbalanced by lapses in defensive focus, as evidenced by today’s late heartbreak.

For Deportivo Alavés III, the relief is unmistakable. After a winless September and a string of narrow losses—including a 0-1 defeat at Real Sociedad III and a 0-1 reverse at home to Pasaia KE—the late goal not only salvaged a precious point but also may serve as a turning point for a squad in need of belief. This was just their second draw of the campaign, and while it did little to immediately lift them from the lower reaches of the table, the resilience shown in the final moments offers a sliver of hope that fortunes may yet turn.

The head-to-head history offers little recent precedent, but today’s encounter sets the tone for a rivalry that could intensify as the season wears on. The parity on display—neither side truly able to assert dominance—mirrors the congestion typical of Group 4’s tightly packed standings.

Looking ahead, Zamudio must reckon with what could have been. Upcoming fixtures will demand sharper concentration in defense and a keener sense of control in decisive moments if they are to avoid the pitfalls of mid-table obscurity. For Alavés III, the task is simple but urgent: transform late heroics into consistent performance. The escape at Udal Kiroldegia provides a foundation, but the margins remain razor thin.

In a league defined by parity and unpredictability, Saturday’s draw is both mirror and warning. Matches like these reveal not just points won or lost, but the mettle of teams seeking to carve out their place. For Zamudio and Deportivo Alavés III, the journey continues—still searching for an identity, but armed now with a vivid reminder of football’s capacity to thrill, frustrate, and redeem, all in the space of 90 minutes.