SANTA POLA CF – 1 CD THADER – 0
BY STEVE HIBBERD
As Santa Pola’s Manolo Macia stadium pitch is currently undergoing re seeding, this Preferentel eague match was played at nearby Mpal field Xipretes.
Thader manager Raul Mora was keen to extend his sides’ 3 match unbeaten run, against a team who shared a similar mid table position. Mora made a few surprise changes to the starting line-up,especially the inclusion of Jony alongside Quino in the strikers’ role.
Inside the first 5 Mins, a Santa Pola corner resulted in Chema tipping a goal bound header over the bar.
Thader’s reliable keeper was again in action within a few minutes, this time he pulled off an acrobatic save to prevent a certain goal. But on 10 mins, disaster struck. A cross from the right into the box seemed harmless enough, but in an off the ball incident, Pascual was adjudged to have pushed an opponent.
From the resultant penalty, although Chema guessed correctly, he was powerless to prevent the ball entering the net.
Pedro Juan was victim of a kick in his chest, which, although inside the penalty area, did not result in a justified penalty. Instead, the match ref awarded an indirect free kick, the first of many baffling decisions to go against the men from Rojales.
On the half hour mark, Quino could only watch as his firm header from a corner, just missed the target. Although this was Thader’s first attempt on goal, they made strong appeals for a penalty (hand ball) on 41 mins, but once again they fell on deaf ears.
Adrian became the first of 4 Thader men to see red, when the assistant manager was forced to watch the remainder of the match behind the dugout, for comments made to the ref.
A specialist long range free kick by Lloyd was spilled by home keeper Angel, but alas there was no one on hand to stab the ball into an empty net and then yet another valid Thader penalty appeal on 59 mins was rejected, before sub-Calderon saw his deflected shot edge the wrong side of the post.
When Javi was tripped inside the box on 75 mins, a penalty looked a formality, but quite bizarrely, the ref booked him (one of many) for simulation.
Juan had only been on as sub for 12 mins before he received a 2nd yellow card for a foul on 84 mins.
Shortly afterwards, fellow Thader defender Rosquin, was fouled, but before the free kick could be taken, he too was given a 2nd yellow, this time for dissent. An incensed Raul Mora was then dismissed from the dugout, further adding to his side’s woes.
To say that the general atmosphere around the ground was hostile is an understatement, but the totally incompetent ref must shoulder a lot of the blame. He booked no less than 14 players, 4 sending offs, and a partridge in a pear tree!! Feliz Navidad? Or maybe ‘Humbug’ might be more appropriate!!
Next up for Thader is a visit of Villena to Moi Gomez stadium, Rojales, on Sun 8 Jan, ko 1130.
