Home
Inicio

About Us
Peña JAVEAMIGOS

About C.D. Javea
Informacion del Club

Useful Links

Player Statistics 07-08
Plantilla 2007-08

Fixtures & Results 07-08
Calendario 07-08

League Table 07-08
Clasificación 2007-08

Latest Pictures
Galería de Fotos

MATCH REPORT JORNADA 20
Sunday 2nd February 2008
CD JAVEA 3 CD FINESTRAT 1
Author: Mike Smith
Photograph by Fay Hughes

CD JAVEA turned on the style to secure their first "double" of the season as they recovered their push for a promotion play-off spot. Stormin' Norman scored his first goals for the club since his arrival in December to complement an early opener from Juanito and it was only a bizarre decision from the referee to award a penalty that prevented the rojiblancos from claiming a second successive clean sheet. Shame it was that the performance was witnessed by one of the lowest crowds of the season after the kick-off was brought forward by almost 24 hours to cater for those who desired to join in the traditional Carnaval celebrations. Yet at least everyone had something extra to celebrate as they danced and drank into the early hours of Sunday morning.

After the dull performance against Hercules CF "B" the previous weekend, CD Javea needed to lift their spirits against another of this season's struggling sides. CD Finestrat have been in existence for less than a decade and this was their first appearance at Preferente level. Struggling at the wrong end of the table, they had been one of the clear favourites for relegation but had lost just one game in their five outings to lift themselves briefly out of the drop zone. Yet, despite going a goal behind within six minutes, Finestrat provided strong opposition against the rojiblancos and the game was much better for it.

Javea made their intentions known very early when Juanito nodded wide from the first of a series of superb crosses from winger Puncho. Just minutes later, the striker from Villajoyosa converted a wonderful cross from Carlos Ribes on the other side of the pitch to put the home side into an early lead after some wonderful work from the ever-tenacious Pablo in the centre of the park.

Despite the early setback, Finestrat refused to lay down and allow the home side to bulldoze them into submission and carved out a moment of sustained pressure, forcing a succession of corners as Javea appeared to sit back on their early advantage. They certainly didn't look like a side struggling against an immediate return to Regional leagues, quite possibly due to the influx of fresh legs during the winter break.

However Javea worked hard to retrieve the early dominance and Stormin' Norman looked lively in the frontline, going close to opening his account for the rojiblancos mid-way through the first half. Puncho was determined to chase what appeared to be a lost cause and found enough time to unload a great cross from the right-hand flank which was met by Norman but his shot was well-blocked by a defender.

The Urugauyan had to wait just a few minutes for the elusive first goal. The rojiblancos worked hard to carve out chances from nothing and, possibly spurred by Puncho's determination moments earlier, Juanito refused to give up and worked to cross the ball from the right-hand edge of the box into a crowded area. Norman's first attempt was well-blocked but the ball dropped nicely for him to make no mistake with a second chance and he blasted the ball across the face of the goal and beyond the reach of the goalkeeper.

Norman worked his socks off and would be rewarded ten minutes into the second period with his second - and Javea's third - goal of the game. Once again, some excellent work from Puncho, this time down the left-hand side, resulted in a solid ball through to Juanito but the striker's snatched shot was blocked superbly by the keeper. However Norman was alert enough to pounce on the loose ball and knock it home at the second attempt to put the rojiblancos into a commanding lead.

Much to the surprise of the faithful who had put their fiesta celebrations on hold to attend the game, the exciting Norman was taken off just as he seemed certain to secure a hat-trick, something not achieved by the Javea player for almost three years. The side seemed to lose some of its security and would concede a goal two minutes later when the referee awarded a penalty to the visitors which was duly dispatched to reduce the arrears.

As it worked its way towards conclusion, the match degenerated until substitute Carlo pounced on a mistake by the defender and charged into the box to cross to Álex Cuadrado, unmarked and alone on the penalty spot. The tall striker hit the ball well enough to the right-hand side of the goal but the goalkeeper leapt well and pushed the ball round the spot at full stretch with one hand to earn noisy respect from the fans in the stand.

Reduced to ten men with just seconds remaining, Finestrat had nothing left in attack and pulled all its forces back into defence to run out the game. The referee brought the game to a close to secure Javea's first 'double' of the season and the first since a twin victory over Monovar CD two seasons ago.