Rayo Vallecano’s match against Athletic Club was abandoned on Saturday after the home fans threw paper planes and rubber balls on to the pitch in protest against the club’s owner.

The La Liga game was Rayo’s first of the season at the Estadio de Vallecas, which had been temporarily closed after an audit highlighted serious health and safety issues – including a risk of contracting Legionnaires’ disease.

Rayo fans blame owner and president Raul Martin Presa, who has long been criticised for the poor upkeep of facilities and a failure to modernise the club.

In the 13th minute of the game, when Rayo fans usually chant “Presa leave now”, supporters threw paper planes and small rubber balls on to the pitch.

The referee stopped play and the stadium announcer urged fans not to throw objects on to the pitch, while stewards hastily removed the items from the grass.

When play resumed 15 minutes later, supporters in the south stand again threw objects on to the field and the referee abandoned play with the game goalless.

Following the game, Athletic Club released a statement to say they would contact their fans who travelled to the game in Madrid to arrange refunds.

Darkness Falls proved the stronger to narrowly beat Desert Castle in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.

The pair led the five runners in the race for the line and Darkness Falls, ridden by Ryan Moore, held off favourite and previously unbeaten Desert Castle, who had William Buick on board.

Aidan O’Brien-trained Darkness Falls had dropped back to seven furlongs from a mile-and-one after winning the Golden Fleece Stakes at Leopardstown last time out.

“He’s a really good colt,” Moore told ITV Sport. “It feels like there’s more in the tank.

“How far he’ll go I don’t know, he has a lot of pace.”

O’Brien added: “It was a big call to come here and it’s incredible to bring a horse back from nine furlongs to win a Dewhurst.

“We’ve always loved him and he’s always had a lot of class. Ryan gave him a brilliant ride and I’m so grateful to win this for everyone, he’s very exciting.

“We came here to give him the experience with a view to the Guineas and we were always going to find out plenty.

“It was a massive ask to bring him back to seven furlongs, it was a tough nine at Leopardstown last time and he has so much class obviously.

“He’s so exciting, as you saw what he did over nine furlongs and I don’t think he’ll have any problem going further either, he has a lot of quality.

“When they have as much class as he has they can do anything and the Triple Crown is the dream.”

The Triple Crown covers the 2,000 Guineas, the Derby and the St Leger, with Nijinsky – in 1970 – the last horse to win all three races in a year.