League Play-Off

Almofrela
Spectators: 32 (Terracing: 25, Seating: 7, VIP seats: 0) Matela's Alfredo Resende 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. Tomás Setúbal sent away a hard shot on goal in the 7th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. The supporters of Almofrela FC booed when Matela was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 9 match minutes in a wonderful position. Heitor Araújo didn't get a good kick on the ball. After some fancy dribbling in the 12th minute, Albertino Amorim managed to get in a good position for a shot. Almofrela FC's supporters rose to their feet, but Albertino Amorim was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Jorge Pinho breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. Emílio Brito received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 18th minute. Jorge Pinho tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. In the 24th minute Alfredo Resende shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Armindo Nogueira saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. When Alexandre Aguiar fell near the penalty area in the 25th minute he thought he would be awarded a free kick. The referee ignored Matela's protests and gave Alexandre Aguiar a yellow card for diving instead. In the 25th minute, Alexandre Aguiar hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. In the 32nd minute, Albertino Amorim reached a very good position and smashed the ball with a huge effort into the net, just to the left of Jorge Pinho. The goal made the score 1-0. The crowd rose to their feet as Emílio Brito kicked a wonderful shot that went in to the left of a diving Jorge Pinho. That made the score 2-0 in the 36 minute of play. Carlos Leiria hit a great freekick 40 minutes into the match. Almofrela FC's Armindo Nogueira played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Tomás Setúbal in the 41st minute of play. The audience was convinced that Alfredo Resende's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Armindo Nogueira was relentless in the 42nd minute of the game. António Anjos kicked well hit freekick during the 43rd minute of the match. No-one was surprised that the home team were leading 2-0 at half-time.

The hometeam waved at the audience when it was time for Emílio Brito to strike the kick off in the second half. Albertino Amorim fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 54th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Jorge Pinho having to interfere. When Tomás Setúbal came up free with the goalie in the 59th minute, the Matela 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 Tomás Setúbal couldn't finish the play. After a defensive mix-up in Almofrela FC's zone, Tomás Setúbal stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Armindo Nogueira came out of the goal and Tomás Setúbal tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. Armindo Nogueira took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Alfredo Resende, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. The referee was alert and spotted a serious foul by Carlos Guerreiro during the 64th minute. The player immediately received a yellow card. Carlos Guerreiro kicked well hit freekick during the 64th minute of the match. If Alfredo Resende had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 66th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Emílio Brito received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 69th minute. Jorge Pinho tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. Jorge Pinho showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Emílio Brito, who was totally free with the ball in the 72nd minute. Tomás Setúbal took the ball and in the 74 minute, shot a rapid shot to the right of a surprised Armindo Nogueira. Armindo Nogueira dived to the right, and did manage to get a hand on the shot, but it still went into the right corner making it 2-1. Alfredo Resende was really disappointed when he shot the ball just outside the right post instead of scoring a goal in the 79th minute. Matela's manager could be seen on the sidelines shaking his head and muttering to himself as his team had just wasted another chance. When Albertino Amorim came up free with the goalie in the 82nd minute, the Almofrela FC 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 Albertino Amorim couldn't finish the play. Jorge Pinho made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Emílio Brito in the 84th minute of play. Albertino Amorim might have been able to make a better finish in the 85th minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Jorge Pinho. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Albertino Amorim ran back to his position shaking his head. Emílio Brito's shot was meant for the net just under the crossbar, but Jorge Pinho read the situation well and was quickly in position to make a wonderful save in the 87th minute of play. Jorge Pinho stood for a superb save when he managed to get hold of Emílio Brito's shot from short distance in the 89th minute. After 90 minutes of play, Matela's Alfredo Resende made it 2-2 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Armindo Nogueira was left in no man's land by his defense there! 94 minutes into the match, Matela's goal looked a bit too open when Emílio Brito came free, but Jorge Pinho reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. The Matela players were the happier at the end of the match as they had prevented Almofrela FC from taking control. The game ends in a draw.