League Play-Off

Palheirao
Spectators: 32 (Terracing: 25, Seating: 7, VIP seats: 0) Palheirao's Miguel Dias 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. An unexpectedly hard shot by Fernando Melo in the 6th minute of play forced Palheirao's goalkeeper Vasco Vaz to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. If Miguel Dias had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 10th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. In the 12th minute the ball was on its way in behind SC Arrifaninha's goalkeeper Catarino Correia, but with the help of a sacrificing defense, he could catch the ball at the crossbar. When Miguel Araújo fell near the penalty area in the 14th minute he thought he would be awarded a free kick. The referee ignored Palheirao's protests and gave Miguel Araújo a yellow card for diving instead. In the 15th minute, Cristiano Leal sent off a long shot on goal, but the shot was nowhere near the goal and Palheirao's Vasco Vaz didn't even have to move. Fernando Melo received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 17th minute. Vasco Vaz tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. After 20 minutes of play, Palheirao's Jorge Barros made it 1-0 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Catarino Correia was left in no man's land by his defense there! Miguel Dias struck a weak shot in the 25th minute. Catarino Correia didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Palheirao. 27 minutes into the match, SC Arrifaninha's goal looked a bit too open when Miguel Dias came free, but Catarino Correia reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. If Jorge Barros had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 27th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. With a couple of smart ball manuevers Miguel Dias in the 29th managed to get into a good position. With a left leg Catarino Correia saved SC Arrifaninha from getting behind. If Nuno Santarém had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 39th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. The audience was convinced that Nuno Santarém's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Vasco Vaz was relentless in the 41st minute of the game. After 42 minutes, Ricardo Torres mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Palheirao and the SC Arrifaninha players grew even worse after the yellow card. Nuno Santarém received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 44th minute. Vasco Vaz tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. Fernando Melo received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 47th minute. Vasco Vaz tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. The away team players looked dejected as the walked off the pitch at half time. They had fought hard, but were still losing 1-0.

The players of the away team seemed most concentrated when Fernando Melo stepped up to make the kick off in the second half. After 51 played minutes Palheirao got a freekick which was hit by Paulo Borba. In the 53rd minute Nuno Santarém shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Vasco Vaz saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. The corner led to SC Arrifaninha's Daniel Costa getting away a dangerous shot that went just outside the goal. Fernando Melo recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 60th minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. Nuno Santarém struck a weak shot in the 61st minute. Vasco Vaz didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for SC Arrifaninha. After 63 minutes, Cândido Fonseca mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the SC Arrifaninha and the Palheirao players grew even worse after the yellow card. In the 63rd match minute, SC Arrifaninha was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Cândido Fonseca to maneuver through the defense. Ricardo Torres got his second yellow card in the match during the 66th minute which meant that he had to leave the ground. Ricardo Torres hit a great freekick 67 minutes into the match. In the 71st minute, Nuno Santarém fired away a shot on goal. He put a little to much spin on the ball and sent it just wide of the right post. In the 73rd minute, Fernando Melo got an opportunity to score, but he didn't get a solid hit on the ball and ended up kicking it wide of the goal. A collision led to Palheirao getting a freekick after 80 minutes play. Jacinto Faria hit a great ball. With his leg Vasco Vaz managed to avoid a goal in the 86thth minute, when SC Arrifaninha's Nuno Santarém fired away a shot with a lot of spin towards his right hand side. Fernando Melo fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 87th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Vasco Vaz having to interfere. The Palheirao players were eager to celebrate when the final whistle sounded. They had somehow managed to win, even though the away team had held the majority of the possession.