Crevillente Deportivo 2 CD Thader 1
Following last week’s shock exit from the newly unveiled ‘La Copa Nostra’ against Regional Division One opposition Torrevieja, Thader´s Sunday evening opponents were Crevillente Deportivo in the Preferente division.
Having played 12 and won 12, Crevillente are looking to bounce straight back into Division 3, whilst Thader sat in 6th place on 20 points.
It was a tall order, but Raul Mora´s men needed to get back to winning ways, having failed to notch up 3 points since beating Betis Florida way back in late October.
Despite the absence of Miguel and Quino, both currently suspended, Thader were by no means intimidated by the huge gap opened up at the top of the table by their hosts. They pressured Crevillente from the very outset in one of the most entertaining opening periods of football I have seen all season.
It was feisty, it was physical, it was absorbing, and it was end to end. What more could you possible want from a game of football other than a wealth of goals.
Both teams were using the entire width of the pitch and it was encouraging to see Thader pressing high higher up the pitch in a bid to win the ball back near the Crevilllente goal.
However it was the hosts that created the first real opportunity brought about by a defensive mix-up between Chema and Dani but Victor was unable to find the target.
Thader were also clearly trying to play the ball forward more often and their efforts eventually paid off midway through the half. A RAFA corner beautifully picked out Fran and the towering forward planted a bullet header into the top-left corner.
Thader spurned a good chance to double their lead in the 35th minute when a clever through-ball from Ruben sent Rosquin one-on-one with Edu Garcia but the defender hit his ball early without drawing the keeper into a save.
The hosts should have been level on 40 minutes with Jose Carlos celebrating his 9th goal of the league campaign after being sent clean through by Pucho but an unbelievable save from close range by Chema ensured the Thader lead remained intact.
Handbags in the dugouts saw the referee brandish yellow cards to both sets of club officials prior to the half time interval but in a frenetic opening half there was just one further opportunity for the home side when Hamza shaved the outside of the Thader post.
The second period was a totally different game following which it’s not too difficult to see why Crevillente have yet to drop a point.
Thader certainly gave it a good go in the first half but they unfortunately ran out steam and never looked like threatening their opponents, as had earlier been the case. The only phrase I can use is ‘one way traffic’ with Edu Garcia not called into making a single save.
Chema, on the other hand, was having the game of his life but even he could do nothing on 63 minutes when Felipe beat an offside flag to roll the ball under the keepers body and level the scores.
He was equal, also, to a number of further chances and it looked as though the visitors could still get something out of the game.
Thader’s Berni was hauled down on 90 minutes when he was through on goal but the anticipated red card was mysteriously diluted to a yellow by the referee, so the eleven men continued to batter the Thader defence when they should have been reduced to ten.
And if that wasn’t injury enough the point that they thought they had earned was taken from them with the very last kick, or perhaps I should say ‘head’ of the game when in the sixth minute of stoppage time, with every last Crevillente player up for the final corner of the game, substitute Pablo Ballester snatched the winner to the their 100% record intact.
Next weekend Thader will hope to return to winning ways when the entertain second bottom Carrus Ilicitana.
