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 CD
JAVEA ended their home campaign with a powerful
win against local rivals UD Benissa which
left much of the home support wondering
just what might have been. This was one
of the best home performances from the rojiblancos
for a long time, even better than the win
against CD Olimpic and both were just as
satisfying. Scott, converted to centre-half
for the past two home games, excelled
in his new albeit temporary role and capped
a fine performance with a well-taken goal
midway through the first-half which would
ultimately claim maximum points. It was
his seventh goal in a season which
only really got going for the Englishman after
the departure of on-loan striker James Lindie
just before Christmas. Surely when the club
sits down and looks at the requirements
for the next campaign, Scott must be one
of the first names scribbled onto the paper.
Yet
praise must go to everyone who turned out
knowing that the play-offs were beyond them
and that they really didn't have much to
play for anymore. In previous seasons, the
campaign had petered out in depressing style
once the play-offs were impossible to reach.
Few could forget the tail end of last season
for instance, a period in which the rojiblancos
shipped more than 19 goals in the last six
games, including a miserable 3-6 reverse
at home against Albatera CF.
The
current squad wants to finish as high as
possible, scant consolation for missing
out on the play-offs but an admirable target
all the same. Leap-frogging over another
near rival, this win put Javea into sixth
spot and a victory at relegation-haunted
UD Tavernes next weekend would secure the
highest finished in the league for four
years. The players know that they've not
performed to their potential in what has
admittedly been a very tough group. But
they sure as hell are not going to rest
until the very end of the campaign - and
I hope those words don't come back to bite
me come 8pm Sunday!
Two
youngsters made their full home debuts for
the club and put in solid performances that
promises much for the future of the club.
Young goalkeeper Ortolá
didn't really have much to do but coped
well enough when required that already comparisons
are being made with his cousin. At left-back,
young Feliu might have been suffering from
pre-match nerves but grew several inches
in stature as the game progressed and even
found time for a few searching forays down
the flanks. Not many youths have come through
the system in recent years so it was refreshing
to see two young local lads performing well.
UD
Benissa arrived boasting a decent run of
form as they inched themselves away from
the relegation zone and the risk of an immediate
drop back to the Primera Regional. Unbeaten
in their last four games, they had beaten
Torrent CF 4-1 at home the previous weekend
and were keen to continue their run and
assure themselves of safety. However all
pre-match form was flung confidently from
the windows by the lads in red-and-white
as they looked to avenge the miserable defeat
in Benissa just before Christmas. The visitors
were restricted to the occasional attack,
mainly down the left-hand side through the
hard-working Angel, but the end result was
persistently comical as crosses and attempted
shots went wayward, leaving Ortolá
which nothing much to do other than collect
the ball from behind the goal. Juanma and
Scott were rocks in the centre of defence
with their wing-men Carbonell and Feliu
playing equally well on the flanks.
In
midfield, Pablo and Youssoupha worked terrifically
well to try and carve out openings for their
attacking prong. 'Yousso' has been revelation
since his arrival at the club in January,
tackling confidently and chasing loss causes
as if his life depended on it. It's a shame
that he hasn't yet got himself onto to the
scoresheet as reward for his hard-work.
Pablo has been eager to make up for lost
time after some two months out through injury;
he was unlucky to be sent off during the
home defeat against Muro CF but it merely
sums up his determination to win the game
for CD Javea.
Javi
has also suffered an enforced absence through
injury, missing a huge chunk of the season
just when we needed him most. He has marked
his return with a brace of goals but still
needs to try and stay on his feet rather
than collapse to the ground in a heap
at the merest hint of a challenge for he
would be a much better player without the
theatrics. David Ivars has had mixed success
on his return to the club in January and
he knows he should have done better with
a couple of golden opportunities in the
second-half. Assuming he stays on with the
club, he will have plenty of time to make
up for some glaring misses in recent weeks
and his obvious enthusiasm for the
club will spur him on to make amends.
Dani
plays with equal enthusiasm for the club
and performed well enough against Benissa
for him to be selected to chat with Marina
Alta TV after the game (accompanied by much
affectionate barracking from the Javeamigos).
For me, he plays somewhat hit-or-miss, performing
strongly one week only to let himself down
badly the following weekend.
Onieva
has played in every game so far this season
and has scored 11 goals, the highest individual
tally since Cebolla in 2005/06. He looked
tired against Benissa and came off midway
through the second-half for the enigmatic
Juanito who has suffered with fitness this
season and made more appearances from the
bench that he has started a game. It's a
shame for we know he has real potential
as his stunning goal against UD Oliva in
pre-season a couple of years ago proved
so well. Whether or not he will figure in
the plans being drawn up over the summer
remains to be seen.
Both
Dino and George played bit parts in the
victory as seems to be their role as the
campaign draws to a close. Both have returned
to the club after spells away and both have
returned hoping to prove themselves in front
of familiar faces. Dino came on for Javi
whilst George replaced the tiring Dani,
both providing youthful exuberance to the
game which had more or less been won already
when Scott nodded home in the first-half.
A scoreline of 1-0 flattered UD Benissa
terribly and they knew it when they strolled
off the pitch at full-time. For some composure
in front of goal, they might have been trudging
off the field in miserable defeat. Instead
they should have been relieved that their
defence was only breached once. Still, there's
always next time ...
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