League Play-Off

Martín Palermo
Spectators: 35 (Terracing: 27, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) Xeneises F.C.'s Justo Shepherd started the match with a crisp pass. The crowd had been anticipating this game for weeks and the excitement in the stadium was easily visible. Silvio Oxel took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Reynaldo Cambranes, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. The audience was convinced that Ceferino Iraitz's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Benito Joanes was relentless in the 8th minute of the game. Benito Joanes stood for a superb save when he managed to get hold of Ceferino Iraitz's shot from short distance in the 10th minute. 11 minutes into the match, Xeneises F.C.'s goal looked a bit too open when Elvio Socorro came free, but Benito Joanes reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. 11 minutes into the match, Elvio Socorro had an open shot that he just couldn't miss and scored to the right of Benito Joanes. Xeneises F.C.'s manager could be seen yelling to the referee that Elvio Socorro was offside, but the referee ignored the protest. 0-1. In the 15th minute, Savas Romanidis hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. After having played for 17 minutes, Elvio Socorro managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Hartlepool United F.C.'s supporters crossed their fingers, but Elvio Socorro was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. In the 20thth minute of the game Ceferino Iraitz who was perfectly placed tried to make a shot on goal, but Xeneises F.C.'s Benito Joanes was lucky and managed to grab hold of the ball. In the 21st minute of the match Hartlepool United F.C. got a corner. Xeneises F.C.'s goalie ran out to the linesman to protest the call, but the linesman resolutely pointed his flag at the cornerflag. Freddy Asur ran over to the corner to take the kick. Silvio Oxel made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Melchor Breogan in the 24th minute of play. In the 28th minute Ceferino Iraitz shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Benito Joanes saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Justo Shepherd received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 30th minute. Silvio Oxel tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. Benito Joanes took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Elvio Socorro, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. Elvio Socorro sent away a hard shot on goal in the 34th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Freddy Asur made a great header on Hartlepool United F.C.'s corner, it was just that Xeneises F.C.'s Benito Joanes managed to reach the ball for a save. Elvio Socorro received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 39th minute. Benito Joanes tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. After some careless play in the Xeneises F.C. defense, Elvio Socorro kicked a shot that curved into the net to the right of Benito Joanes. The Xeneises F.C. fans voiced their displeasure as they felt that Benito Joanes should have stopped the shot. Benito Joanes showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Elvio Socorro, who was totally free with the ball in the 47th minute.

The wind increased when Ceferino Iraitz made the kick off in the second half. Benito Joanes showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Ceferino Iraitz in the 51st minute of the match. Xeneises F.C.'s Benito Joanes proved his good apprehension of play when he, in the 54th minute of the match, managed to save Xeneises F.C. from getting a goal against them. In the 55th minute of the match Hartlepool United F.C. got a corner. Xeneises F.C.'s goalie ran out to the linesman to protest the call, but the linesman resolutely pointed his flag at the cornerflag. Freddy Asur ran over to the corner to take the kick. The corner ended in Freddy Asur almost managing to get the ball behind the net, but Xeneises F.C.'s Benito Joanes did a great save. In the 59thth minute of the game Ceferino Iraitz who was perfectly placed tried to make a shot on goal, but Xeneises F.C.'s Benito Joanes was lucky and managed to grab hold of the ball. Savas Romanidis kicked well hit freekick during the 60th minute of the match. In the 63rd minute, Hartlepool United F.C.'s Freddy Asur ran free of his marker and smoothly shot the ball into the goal behind Benito Joanes. Benito Joanes yelled at his defense, as they had left him out to dry. 0-3. With a little luck, Xeneises F.C.'s Benito Joanes got control of the ball when Elvio Socorro tried to sneak it across the goal line. Hartlepool United F.C.'s attacker deliberately struck the ball against an opponent to win a corner for his team. The corner was taken by Freddy Asur in the 68th minute. A well-hit corner resulted in Savas Romanidis heading the ball towards the goal, but to his dismay he misdirected it and missed the goal completely. The supporters of Hartlepool United F.C. booed when Xeneises F.C. was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 73 match minutes in a wonderful position. Hugo Ixidor didn't get a good kick on the ball. The audience thought a goal was coming when Evelio Handi got free with Benito Joanes in the 79th minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. Xeneises F.C.'s Benito Joanes played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Ceferino Iraitz in the 80th minute of play. 83 minutes into the game, Fabian Dunixi recieved a splendid long ball, split the defenders, and gently placed the ball to the left of Benito Joanes. Fabian Dunixi showed that you don't have to tear a hole in the net to score, 0-4. Benito Joanes made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Ceferino Iraitz in the 86th minute of play. When the match clock showed 89 minutes, the score became 0-5 when Evelio Handi sped through Xeneises F.C.'s defense and sent away a curving shot that went into the net to the right of Benito Joanes. An unexpectedly hard shot by Evelio Handi in the 95th minute of play forced Xeneises F.C.'s goalkeeper Benito Joanes to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. The referee blew the final whistle, and the away crowd roared, having watched Hartlepool United F.C. eke out a victory against a very well matched opponent.