Osasuna 4 : 0 Hercules - Giant performance shocks Hercules

Posted Sunday, March 20, 2011 by PA

Osasuna took a huge step towards Primera Division survival as they thrashed struggling Hercules 4-0 in Alicante to move into the top half of the table with nine rounds of the championship remaining.

Goals from Javier Camunas and Nelson saw the Pamplona-based side go two up before the break, before second-half strikes from Krisztian Vadocz and Kike Sola sealed an emphatic victory for the northerners.

Having failed to win back-to-back league games all season under previous boss Jose Antonio Camacho, Osasuna came into this match looking for a third straight victory and a fourth in six since the arrival of new coach Jose Luis Mendilibar.

And they were ahead after just 10 minutes when Vadocz advanced into the area and sent an inviting ball across the six-yard box which Hercules failed to clear, leaving Camunas with an easy finish.

Two minutes later, Sola took advantage of some more poor defending from the hosts, but saw his shot rebound back off the post.

Hercules began to improve after that and they had a Royston Drenthe effort ruled out later in the half because the ball had drifted out of play in the build-up.

The locals, who had lost their last three Primera Division matches, looked as if they would get back into the game as they continued to look the better side, but Osasuna struck again 10 minutes before the interval.

Sola crossed from the left and Hercules keeper Juan Calatayud could only punch the ball to the unmarked Nelson, who slotted a left-footed volley into the corner to make it 2-0.

Drenthe shot wide as Hercules began brightly after the break, but Sola then missed a one-on-one at the other end.

And Osasuna went three up on the hour, when Vadocz reacted slotted home from six yards following a well-worked set piece.

Sola then scored from virtually an identical position five minutes later following yet more poor marking from the home side.

That completed the humiliation for Hercules, who are now bottom of the table and four points adrift of 17th-placed Zaragoza with nine games left.

Osasuna, meanwhile, are nine points better off in 10th place.