Las Palmas win third game in four to roll past wasteful Rayo Vallecano
Following a moving pre-match silence paying tribute to the victims of the recent Spanish floods, there was an understandable sense of sorrow in the stands, as football paled into insignificance.
Amid a subdued backdrop, it was the hosts who created the first chance when Sergio Camello hit the side netting after outmuscling Alex Suarez. Rayo would rue that missed opportunity, as Fabio Silva gave Diego Martinez’s side a sixth-minute lead with a brilliant towering header from Sandro Ramirez’s corner.
There was a good ebb and flow to this contest, and Florian Lejeune almost gave Los Franjirrojos a taste of their own medicine when he headed Gerard Gumbau’s corner onto the bar.
Rayo were gradually asserting their authority in this contest and had two golden opportunities in quick succession to restore parity through Pep Chavarria and Gumbau. Oscar Valentín was next to come close on his 200th Rayo appearance, but he headed narrowly over from Gumbau’s threatening corner.
Inigo Perez’s side continued to dominate after the break, with Jasper Cillessen called into action to deny Isi Palazon, before Jorge de Frutos and Álvaro García both skied efforts over the bar to continue the theme of Rayo profligacy. That wastefulness would come back to bite the hosts once again, as Las Palmas inexplicably doubled their lead with a goal that came completely against the run of play. In a cruel twist of fate, it was Aridane Hernandez – born in the Canary Island of Fuerteventura – who headed Ramírez's corner into his own net.
That small pocket of Las Palmas fans erupted into raptures again after Manu Fuster scored his first LaLiga goal in style with a superb long-range finish, latching onto a sublime assist from Kirian Rodríguez.
The scoreline was barely comprehensible given the hosts’ dominance, with Los Amarillos dishing out some chastening punishment to the Madrid outfit. Perez’s side did score a late consolation when Scott McKenna diverted a De Frutos cross into his own net in stoppage time, moments before the Scotsman sought redemption moments later when he fired wide of the far post.
This was a devastating display of ruthless efficiency from Martinez’s men, which lifted the Canary Islanders out of the bottom three and, at least temporarily, up into 15th following a fourth win across their last five matches in all competitions.
Meanwhile, Rayo will lick their wounds after suffering only a second defeat from their last nine games and stay in ninth place for now.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Sandro Ramirez (Las Palmas)