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MATCH REPORT JORNADA 15
Sunday 16th December 2007
UD ALTEA 2 CD JAVEA 1
Author: Mike Smith
Photograph by Fay Hughes

Defeat in a derby game hurts. Defeat in a derby game when you lose not only to your fierce rivals but also with the help of a truly awful referee hurts even more. Within the first five minutes, the loyal and loud travelling army, who surely outnumbered the home fans, knew that their team would be up against not just the enthusiasm of a home side wanting to return from three successive defeats but also the decisions of a diabolical referee who takes the prize for the worst official ever experienced by this writer.

Quite how a qualified referee, puffing and panting to keep up with play several yards behind the ball, can decide that he can determine whether or not a player is in an offside position far better than his assistant who is in line with play will remain lost on us. Granted, the travelling army was hardly in a better position to make the decision but it was obvious to everyone present in the ground that the player was in an offside position when he received the ball. It’s always drummed into players to play to the whistle but when a linesman, in a far better position,  immediately and confidently raises his flag on the far side of the pitch, it’s not surprising that the defensive line will react. But, as the lineman remained static with flag raised and the visiting defence appealed, Ángel waltzed around the advancing Ortola and crossed for Nene to slid the ball into the net. The linesman remained still like a Greek statue whilst the referee signalled for a goal. Fans and players pointed out the flag on the far side and the referee jogged over as Ortola placed the ball for a free-kick. Amazingly the official confidentally overruled his assistant who was in a better position and maintained that the goal would stand, much to the inevitable protests from the Javea party on the pitch, on the bench and in the stands. Officials were dismissed, players stood with hands on hips in amazement at the decision. Three minutes into one of the most anticipated derbies of the season and the man-in-the-middle ends the match as a contest. CD Javea were now playing against twelve men (and we don’t include the moribund home crowd who barely squeaked when their team scored.)

The JAVEAMIGOS lifted their voices for they knew that their team needed a lift from this incredibly blatant attempt by the official to influence the game in favour of the home side. If points were awarded for the level of support from the stands then CD Javea would have been awarded all three points for the vocal equivalent of a rout. Even as the mountains of the Sierra Bernia disappeared into black cloud and rain began to fall in ever-increasing intensity, the JAVEAMIGOS wiped away the raindrops from their faces and sung their hearts out for their team. It felt like a home game for Javea, the ground taken over by the red-and-white Santa hats, flashing as the evening gloom descended on the Costa Blanca.

The rain lashed the pitch and the players shivered unhappily during lulls in the play. Ravaged by injury, Javea struggled to carve out the clear opportunities that had seen them mingle with the front-runners, with the ever-popular and tenacious midfielder Ruben Pla having to sit this one out due to injury. Yet the make-shift side still worked hard to get themselves back into the game, despite attempts by the referee to punish every single tackle against Altea with a free-kick. Cards were shown in almost every direction and, as a footballing spectacle, the game had ended by the time the players rushed into the changing rooms at half-time to escape the heavy rain, with the referee confidently strolling off to the cat-calls from the travelling army, shrugging off suggestions that his amateur status as a referee was ruining the game. There was simply no logic and no consistency to his decisions. He looked totally out of his depth officiating such a passionate game and it was the opinion of just about everyone present - home and away fans - that this chap could never make it as a top referee; even the Preferente was perhaps too high a hurdle for him to overcome - sand pitches in community centres would probably still be too much of a task for him.

The second-half brought some respite from the heavy rain that had turned the small stand at the Garganes ground into a delightful waterfall effect. However a waterfall’s usual calming nature would have nothing on the atmosphere in the ground as the referee continued to make it as tough as possible for CD Javea to claw themselves back into the  game. Every nudge committed by a Javea player seemed to be punished; every foul against Javea and its subsequent appeals would be waved away unless the rojiblancos found themselves in a commanding position or charging “one-on-one” on the opponent’s goal, as happened at least twice during the heated second 45 minutes, when play would be pulled back to the location of the offence. No advantage was given to the away side – at any time – and it seemed that Javea would never be allowed a chance to get themselves back in the game.

However, the chance did finally arrive midway through the half when Carlos Ribes stepped up to expertly convert a free-kick into the net and spark noisy celebrations around the crowd; from the level of noise, you would have through that Javea were playing at home! The players lifted their game, despite continued diabolical decisions from the referee, and the fans lifted their voices as the cold night air drew in. Coach Kenny Brown introduced new signing Stormin’ Norman Molinari and almost immediately it seemed that Javea could find some bite along the frontline. However the referee seemed to determine to ensure a home victory and made another very dodgy decision by awarding a penalty after an Altea player dived to the floor, obviously under heavy sniper fire, under the close attention of the make-shift Javea defence; he couldn’t even consult his assistant on the decision this time for the linesman was well behind the play, caked in mud after taking a tumble on the wet surface. Yet the drama wasn’t over just yet; Altea’s Carrasco took the responsibility for taking the kick and blasted the ball low and fast to the left of Ortola. However the young keeper dived confidently to block the shot and reacted well to smother the loose ball with Carrasco looming. The fans lifted their voices another notch, rightfully acknowledging the performance of the custodian with chants of “España’s Numero Uno”!

The match descended into a stalemate in the increasing gloom under Altea’s dreadful floodlights. With Javea beginning to take command in the centre of the park, they continued to look for a way through the resilient defence, with Stormin’ Norman looking extremely lively. However the recovery would not be complete and the clown in the middle brought the game to a close. The Javea players trooped off the pitch, heads bowed despite the loud chorus of acknowledgement from the travelling army. The referee and his assistants trooped off the pitch amidst a barrage of abuse – rightly or wrongly – for turning one of the most anticipated games into absolute farce.