Ten Men Hold the Line: Melilla Steals Late Point at La Victoria

Real Jaén squandered a numerical advantage and watched a potential victory slip through their fingers Sunday, as visiting Melilla salvaged a dramatic 1-1 draw with a late equalizer at Nuevo Estadio La Victoria in Segunda División RFEF Group 4 action.

The hosts appeared destined for three points after converting an early penalty and weathering 56 minutes with an extra man following a red card to a Melilla player. Instead, they surrendered a precious two points in the 88th minute, a deflating conclusion that raised questions about their ability to close out matches against depleted opponents.

Real Jaén seized control in the 15th minute when the referee pointed to the spot, and the ensuing conversion gave the home side what seemed a commanding lead. The advantage grew more pronounced just 19 minutes later when Melilla saw a player dismissed with a straight red card in the 34th minute, reducing the visitors to ten men for more than half the match.

Yet what should have been a routine victory—a goal lead against ten men—became a cautionary tale about complacency. Despite dominating possession and enjoying constant numerical superiority, Real Jaén failed to add the insurance goal that would have put the match beyond doubt. The visitors, displaying the stubborn resilience that has defined their challenging season, absorbed pressure and waited for their moment.

That moment arrived two minutes from full time. With Real Jaén perhaps already celebrating internally, Melilla struck against the run of play to silence the home crowd and steal an improbable point. The equalizer represented not just a goal but a psychological victory for a team that has struggled to find consistency this campaign.

The result carries significant implications for both clubs' trajectories. Real Jaén entered the match riding a wave of momentum, winners of three consecutive league matches that had propelled them to fifth place in the table with 10 points from five matches. Their recent form—victories over Estepona (2-1), Xerez Deportivo (2-1), and Antoniano (3-2)—suggested a team finding its rhythm after an early-season defeat to Extremadura 1924 and opening-day draw at Lorca Deportiva.

This dropped point, however, represents their first stumble since mid-September and raises concerns about their ability to maintain pressure on the group's leaders. A win would have moved them into genuine promotion contention; instead, they remain in the playoff zone but with lingering doubts about their killer instinct.

For Melilla, languishing in 12th place with just five points from five matches, the draw provides a rare moment of relief in what has been a difficult start to the campaign. The visitors entered having taken just one point from their previous two matches—a 1-1 draw with Xerez and a defeat at La Unión Atlético. Their only victory of the season remains distant in the rearview mirror, and their goal-scoring struggles have been evident throughout.

Yet Sunday's performance, particularly after being reduced to ten men, revealed character that statistics alone cannot capture. To hold firm for 56 minutes with a numerical disadvantage, absorb sustained pressure, and still find an equalizer requires mental fortitude and tactical discipline. Whether this represents a turning point or merely a temporary reprieve remains to be seen, but the visitors left La Victoria with something tangible.

The contrasting emotions at the final whistle told the story plainly. Melilla's players celebrated as if they had won; Real Jaén's trudged off knowing they had let two points escape. In the unforgiving mathematics of promotion races, such margins often prove decisive. The hosts had controlled the match, enjoyed every advantage, and still couldn't seal the deal.

As the season progresses, Real Jaén must learn to capitalize on such favorable circumstances. Playing against ten men for most of the match represents an opportunity that cannot be squandered if genuine promotion aspirations exist. Sunday's result serves as a reminder that in Spain's fourth tier, no advantage is safe until the final whistle sounds.

Melilla, meanwhile, will hope this gutsy performance can spark a revival. They remain deep in the lower half of the table, but a point earned in such adversity can prove more valuable than victories that come easily. Sometimes survival requires not brilliance but bloody-minded determination—exactly what the visitors displayed at La Victoria.