Avance Ezcabarte delivered one of the most emphatic performances of their Tercera División RFEF campaign on Saturday, 3 October 2026, dismantling CD Cantolagua 4-1 in front of their own supporters. The four-goal outburst was the hosts' most productive attacking display of the season and handed them a statement victory in the Navarre regional group.

A fast, decisive start

Avance Ezcabarte set the tone inside the opening twenty minutes, pressing high and forcing Cantolagua into rushed clearances. The breakthrough arrived when Aitor Zabalza latched onto a loose ball at the edge of the box and swept it low into the far corner. The lead was doubled shortly before the half-hour mark, Iker Larumbe arriving at the back post to convert a deep cross after a well-worked overlap down the right.

Cantolagua steadied briefly and pulled one back through Sergio Aranda, whose header from a corner gave the visitors a foothold going into the interval. At 2-1, the game was alive — but only briefly.

Second-half control and a clinical finish

Whatever was said at half-time worked. Avance Ezcabarte restored their two-goal cushion early in the second period when Unai Etxeberria curled a free kick over the wall and inside the near post, a strike that visibly drained the visitors' momentum.

From that point the hosts managed the game maturely, dropping their defensive line and hitting on the counter. The fourth goal was the pick of the bunch: a sweeping move from left to right ended with Mikel Oyarzábal finishing first time from twelve yards. By the closing stages the only real question was whether Cantolagua could keep the margin respectable.

Key moments

• 12' — Aitor Zabalza opens the scoring with a low drive from the edge of the area.
• 28' — Iker Larumbe doubles the lead at the back post after a flowing move.
• 41' — Sergio Aranda heads in from a corner to halve the deficit.
• 52' — Unai Etxeberria's free kick restores the two-goal buffer.
• 74' — Mikel Oyarzábal completes the scoring with a first-time finish.

Standout performers

Zabalza was the game's most influential figure, linking midfield and attack and setting the tempo with intelligent movement between the lines. Etxeberria controlled the centre of the pitch, while the back four — marshalled by captain Jon Erviti — limited Cantolagua to a handful of genuine chances after the restart. For the visitors, Aranda was the lone bright spot, and goalkeeper Pablo Irisarri prevented the scoreline from becoming more lopsided with three sharp saves.

What it means

The three points lift Avance Ezcabarte into a healthier position in the Tercera División RFEF standings and, more importantly, inject confidence into a squad that has been searching for consistency. A four-goal home win is exactly the kind of result that shifts a season's trajectory, and the manner of the performance — patient in possession, ruthless in the final third — suggests the side is beginning to find its identity.

For CD Cantolagua, the defeat is a reminder of how punishing this division can be on the road. Conceding four away from home leaves them with work to do defensively, and their next fixture now takes on added importance as they look to stop the slide before it becomes a pattern.