Doneztebe FT 3-3 CD Huarte — a Navarrese derby in the Spanish Tercera División RFEF delivered six goals, two lead changes and a stoppage-time equaliser, as Doneztebe FT and CD Huarte shared the points in a 3-3 draw that neither side will forget quickly.

Match overview

Played in the Tercera División RFEF, the fourth tier of Spanish football and the highest level of the national pyramid that still carries a strong regional identity, this was a fixture between two clubs separated by little more than half an hour of road in the province of Navarre. Doneztebe FT, based in the Baztan valley town of Doneztebe-Santesteban, hosted CD Huarte, the club from the Pamplona metropolitan area, in a game that swung from controlled to chaotic inside the opening half hour and never settled again.

The hosts started the brighter, pressing high and forcing Huarte into early turnovers in midfield, and the reward arrived early. The visitors responded with the composure of a side used to grinding out results on the road, drawing level before the break and then edging ahead shortly after. What followed was a second half of end-to-end football that ended with both teams celebrating a point and both coaches leaving with questions about their defensive shape.

Key moments

• 12' — Doneztebe FT 1-0: A quick turnover in the middle third released the home side down the right, and the low cross was turned in at the near post to give Doneztebe the lead their early pressure deserved.
• 33' — Doneztebe FT 1-1: CD Huarte found space between the hosts' centre-backs for the first time, and a first-time finish from the edge of the box levelled the score.
• 43' — Doneztebe FT 1-2: A set piece proved costly. Huarte's delivery from the left was only half-cleared, and the follow-up shot beat the goalkeeper through a crowd.
• 54' — Doneztebe FT 2-2: Doneztebe won a penalty after a driving run into the box was halted, and the spot kick was converted with confidence.
• 77' — Doneztebe FT 3-2: The hosts' best move of the match — a switch of play, a third-man run and a composed finish — restored the lead and sent the home support into full voice.
• 90+2' — Doneztebe FT 3-3: Huarte threw bodies forward one last time and were rewarded when a scrambled clearance fell kindly and was lashed home from close range.

Tactical story

Doneztebe FT set up in a compact, aggressive shape designed to win the ball back high and attack quickly. It worked in the opening quarter, when Huarte struggled to play through the first line of pressure, but it also left space behind the full-backs whenever the move broke down. Huarte's response was patient rather than spectacular: they slowed the tempo, circulated the ball to the flanks and waited for the home side's midfield to step out of position.

That contrast defined the second half. Doneztebe's substitutions added legs in wide areas and made them more dangerous in transition, which is how they scored their third goal. Huarte, meanwhile, grew stronger as the game stretched, pushing their defensive line higher and committing extra players into the box. In the final ten minutes the hosts dropped too deep, and the equaliser was the logical consequence of a team defending its own penalty area rather than the halfway line.

Standout players

The home side's midfield engine was at the heart of almost everything positive, winning second balls and linking defence to attack, while their striker's movement in the channel caused Huarte problems all evening. For the visitors, the goalkeeper made two important saves at 2-2 and 3-2 to keep the game alive, and the substitute who finished the late equaliser changed the contest simply by attacking the six-yard box.

What the draw means for the table

A point apiece keeps both clubs in the congested middle section of the Tercera División RFEF Group 15 table, where a couple of wins can lift a team towards the promotion play-off places and a couple of defeats can drag it back towards the relegation zone. For Doneztebe FT, the frustration lies in dropping two points from a winning position at home; for CD Huarte, the late goal is a genuine confidence boost and a reminder of the resilience that away days in this division demand.

Both teams will now turn to the next round of fixtures with similar priorities: tightening up defensively without losing the attacking intent that made this six-goal thriller one of the most entertaining matches of the weekend.