Segunda B side Mirandés eliminated Primera's Espanyol over 2 legs in the King's Cup last night. Over the 2 legs you have to say it was well deserved - poor refereeing denied them 2 blatant penalties in the first leg - a leg they could have been 4 up in by the time Espanyol netted 3 in the last 5 minutes. In the second leg, Espanyol went one up just after the break, but the brilliant Pablo Infante equalized before Candea headed the winner in injury time.
It was a giant-killing - but, Mirandés played the better football. This was no kick and run team out-muscling pampered primera stars, no, this side were a credit to themselves, their manager, and to the ignored and undervalued Segunda B division.
I am also glad to see they have decided to go ahead and play the semi-final at their small Anduva ground (holds around 6,000). It would have been easy to take the money and play at a nearby ground with a higher capacity - but I can see that Mirandés are not resting on their laurels, no; they want to progress even further. It's also a wake-up call for the berks that run the game and their fixing of the cup draw, and insistence that in the first few rounds Primera sides play the second leg at home, so that segunda and Segunda B sides can get a good attendance for the first leg. What rubbish - who are they to decide for smaller clubs? Mirandés have showed that no result, however many divisions separate the sides, is a foregone conclusion, and that getting through rounds is the money-spinner, much more than any condescending decision made in Madrid.
Although I have to admit....my immediate reaction when the final whistle went was to go green with envy. When will it be Real Murcia's turn in the limelight?
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