League Play-Off

MIKE PATTON
Spectators: 34 (Terracing: 26, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) The field was rather wet after several days of rain when Hegoi Aizpurua took the kick off in the first half of the match. In the 6th minute Lalo Quijana shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Nono Darroja saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Gabi Galego recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 9th minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. With a little luck, Almansa's Javier Camarasa got control of the ball when Gabi Galego tried to sneak it across the goal line. Lalo Quijana fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 19th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Nono Darroja having to interfere. Hegoi Aizpurua fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 22nd minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Javier Camarasa having to interfere. Lalo Quijana might have been able to make a better finish in the 23rd minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Nono Darroja. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Lalo Quijana ran back to his position shaking his head. If Lalo Quijana had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 25th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. When Archibaldo Rapado came up free with the goalie in the 27th minute, the Almansa fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Archibaldo Rapado couldn't finish the play. A well placed Hegoi Aizpurua short distance shot in the 30th minute ended with a hard ball which without a chance for the goalkeeper went staright up into the goalkeepers left cross. With a little luck, Almansa's Javier Camarasa got control of the ball when Gabi Galego tried to sneak it across the goal line. Lalo Quijana's shot was meant for the net just under the crossbar, but Nono Darroja read the situation well and was quickly in position to make a wonderful save in the 36th minute of play. After having played for 41 minutes, Hegoi Aizpurua managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. FAITH NO MORE's supporters crossed their fingers, but Hegoi Aizpurua was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. When Lalo Quijana came up free with the goalie in the 44th minute, the Almansa fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Lalo Quijana couldn't finish the play. Af the end of the first half the score was 1-0. The first half had gone as expected for the home team.

The players of the away team seemed most concentrated when Lalo Quijana stepped up to make the kick off in the second half. In the 54th minute Archibaldo Rapado shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Nono Darroja saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Javier Camarasa showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Gabi Galego in the 57th minute of the match. After some fancy dribbling in the 59th minute, Lalo Quijana managed to get in a good position for a shot. Almansa's supporters rose to their feet, but Lalo Quijana was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Nono Darroja breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. If Fermín Macho had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 60th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. The supporters of Almansa booed when FAITH NO MORE was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 62 match minutes in a wonderful position. Baiardo Huerta didn't get a good kick on the ball. 66 minutes into the match, Hegoi Aizpurua had an open shot that he just couldn't miss and scored to the right of Javier Camarasa. Almansa's manager could be seen yelling to the referee that Hegoi Aizpurua was offside, but the referee ignored the protest. 2-1. The audience was convinced that Lalo Quijana's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Nono Darroja was relentless in the 75th minute of the game. 76 minutes into the match, FAITH NO MORE's goal looked a bit too open when Fermín Macho came free, but Nono Darroja reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Hegoi Aizpurua fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 77th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Javier Camarasa having to interfere. After 80 minutes of play, FAITH NO MORE's Hegoi Aizpurua made it 3-1 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Javier Camarasa was left in no man's land by his defense there! Hegoi Aizpurua sent away a hard shot on goal in the 86th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Fermín Macho received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 88th minute. Nono Darroja tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. An unexpectedly hard shot by Caton Pedriza in the 94th minute of play forced FAITH NO MORE's goalkeeper Nono Darroja to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Nono Darroja took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Lalo Quijana, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. Almansa's supporters were dissatisfied at the end of the match because FAITH NO MORE had won, even though Almansa had held more of the ball.