Eldense ‘B’ 0–0 SC Torrevieja CF
BY CHRIS PEACH
Sporting Costablanca Torrevieja picked up their first away point of the season with a hard-fought 0–0 draw against Eldense ‘B’ at the Estadio Nuevo Pepico Amat.
Piquero made three changes to the starting lineup, bringing in Otman, Carmona and Ramiro, and the travelling Torry fans were in fine voice from the start, however, the visitors were nearly punished inside the opening minute as Eldense broke into the box and forced a sharp save from Pizarro.
The hosts continued to threaten, flashing a dangerous cross across the six-yard box with no one there to convert. Torrevieja’s first chance came when neat build-up play released Caleb on the right, who squared to Ismail, but the striker failed to control under pressure.
Eldense had a goal correctly ruled out for offside shortly after, and Ismail responded with a half-volley over the bar from the edge of the box.
Pizarro produced another strong save on the half-hour mark after Eldense’s forward beat Alex with clever footwork, only to be denied while Torry’s best chance of the half fell to Ramiro, who met a low cross from Caleb eight yards out, but struck his effort straight at the goalkeeper. It was an even first half, and the teams went into the break level at 0–0.
The second period began with more pressure from Eldense, and Pizarro once again reacted brilliantly to stop a low near-post strike from close range.
Torrevieja immediately countered and almost scored when Ramiro’s shot was blocked and Ismail’s follow-up forced a save.
On 60 minutes, Carmona and Ramiro were replaced by Morales and Ernesto as the match became increasingly scrappy. A free-kick into the Eldense box created a half-chance for Loel, but he snatched at the shot and it was easily gathered by the keeper.
Torry looked dangerous from set-pieces and long throws, consistently winning second balls, but their finishing let them down.
With six minutes remaining, Eldense produced the best chance of the match as their striker curled a shot toward the far corner, only for Pizarro to make a superb full-stretch save.
Moments later, Matias dribbled past several defenders and attempted to chip the goalkeeper, but his effort sailed agonisingly over the bar.
In the closing minutes, Torrevieja were forced to defend deep as Eldense launched a series of crosses and free-kicks into the box, but the visitors stood firm to secure the draw.
The match lacked overall quality, but neither side can have many complaints with the result. Torrevieja will be pleased to earn their first point away from home this season. Both teams opted for a direct approach, which limited midfield influence and creativity. If Torry can translate their strong home form to their away fixtures, games like this could easily turn into wins.
