Villajoyosa 2-0 SC Torrevieja
League leaders Torry made the 130-minute round trip to 11th placed Villajoyosa on Saturday looking for a positive reaction following the disappointing home draw against Crevillent only 3 days earlier.
The line up saw Carmona and skipper Manu back in the defence, but unfortunately top scorer Lewis was unavailable for selection due to suspension, after picking up a late yellow card. Both Antón and Campillo also missed out due to injury and sickness respectively.
Nevertheless, Gil was able to put out a strong squad that should have been capable of overturning their mid table opposition.
And it certainly looked that was with Torry quickly out of the blocks and applying early pressure. Abadía came closest to opening the scoring as his in-swinging corner almost put the visitors in front, cruelly striking the outside of the near post and going behind for a goal-kick.
It was a cagey game with very few chances but Torry were dominating the ball. Dani Muñoz connected well with a strike after an Abadía corner was poorly cleared, but it was well blocked by a defender sliding in.
On the half-hour mark a penalty shout for Villajoyosa came to nothing as Carmona used his strength to beat the striker who goes down in the box. The appeal was perhaps more in hope than expectation as the referee waved play on.
Goalless at the interval Torry finished the half on top but were struggling to break through a well organised Villajoyosa defence.
An early opportunity for the visitors in the second half as Montero went close but moments later Torry found themselves behind. A mix up between Toro and Ramiro gifted the ball to a Villajoyosa midfielder, who played a perfect weighted ball through to his striker to open the scoring.
Torry almost got an instant leveller as Luis Carlos struck a volley, but with the keeper beaten there was a defender on hand to clear the ball off the line. There was then a big chance for Gombo who should have scored, a cross finding him at the back post but he can’t adjust his body in time and misjudged his header with the ball bouncing wide of the goal.
The home side’s second came with just a dozen minutes remaining, a poor free kick conceded by Alek with the resultant freekick hit low and straight down the middle of the goal, to double Villajoyosa’s lead.
The last 15mins were very frustrating for Torrevieja, Villajoyosa managed the end of the game well and knew how to effectively run down the clock, so a bad day at the office for Gils men, just about all of which failed to impress.
Torry must now rely on slip up’s by Murada and Novelda if they are to win the league, in a season where there are surely still a few twists and turns to be had in the title race.
Match Report by Chris Peach – Torry Army Secretary & Social Media
Contact us on torryarmyfootball@gmail.com
League table and results will appear here later
