League Play-Off

Estadio Gatinheira
Spectators: 34 (Terracing: 26, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) The field was rather wet after several days of rain when Joaquim Machado took the kick off in the first half of the match. João Rocha showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Joaquim Machado in the 3rd minute of the match. António Cardoso received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 9th minute. Alfredo Baptista tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. Joaquim Machado sent away a hard shot on goal in the 14th minute, but the ball hit the crossbar and went out. A very good chance for a goal. After some fancy dribbling in the 28th minute, Pedro Mota managed to get in a good position for a shot. Pinhete's supporters rose to their feet, but Pedro Mota was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. João Rocha breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. After 32 minutes of play, Gatinheira's Afonso Almeida made it 1-0 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Alfredo Baptista was left in no man's land by his defense there! Rafael Ferro hit a great freekick 34 minutes into the match. The referee was alert and spotted a serious foul by Luís Rodrigues during the 35th minute. The player immediately received a yellow card. Luís Rodrigues hit a great freekick 36 minutes into the match. After 37 played minutes Pinhete got a freekick which was hit by Pedro Mota. If António Cardoso had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 40th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. After some fancy dribbling in the 43rd minute, Rafael Ferro managed to get in a good position for a shot. Gatinheira's supporters rose to their feet, but Rafael Ferro was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Alfredo Baptista breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. All the noise was coming from the home fans when the whistle went for half-time. The home team had fought hardest to put themselves in a deserved lead.

Both teams looked relatively alert before the second half when the referee blew his whistle to tell António Cardoso to make the kick off. In the 53rd minute Joaquim Machado shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but João Rocha saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Alfredo Baptista stood for a superb save when he managed to get hold of Rafael Ferro's shot from short distance in the 56th minute. If Joaquim Machado had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 60th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. A collision led to Gatinheira getting a freekick after 63 minutes play. Joaquim Moura hit a great ball. After 64 played minutes, Pinhete's Domingos Antunes shot from a long distance, and at first it looked like the ball was going into the goal, but the goalkeeper João Rocha came through and got his fingers on the ball before it flew over the goal line. He then quickly gripped the ball tighter before the forwards in Pinhete reached it. Joaquim Machado sent away a hard shot on goal in the 66th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. João Rocha made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Joaquim Machado in the 70th minute of play. In the 72nd match minute, Gatinheira was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Luís Rodrigues to maneuver through the defense. With a little luck, Gatinheira's João Rocha got control of the ball when Pedro Mota tried to sneak it across the goal line. João Rocha had in the 80thth minute some difficulties stopping Domingos Antunes's well aimed penalty as it nearly passed him on his left side, but he still managed to hold the ball. An unexpected shot in the 87th minute by Pedro Mota got the crowd on their feet, but to their dismay it went out on the left side. The referee was alert and spotted a serious foul by Adolfo Amaral during the 91st minute. The player immediately received a yellow card. Adolfo Amaral hit a great freekick 91 minutes into the match. Pinhete's supporters stood up full of expectation in the 93rd minute of the game, when Sérgio Amaro after an extraordinary solo performance found himself with a golden opportunity in front of Gatinheira's goal. Sérgio Amaro was unfortunally a little to anxious and the ball went outside the goal. Pinhete's Pedro Mota got a good chance for a goal in the 97th minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. A collision led to Gatinheira getting a freekick after 98 minutes play. Afonso Almeida hit a great ball. Pinhete's players left the field with heads hung low after losing a match that had been finely balanced throughout.