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MATCH REPORT JORNADA 26
Sunday 30th March 2008
CD JAVEA 0 SANTA POLA CF 1
Author: Mike Smith
Photograph by Fay Hughes

LOCAL football has a real problem and it is essential that the Valencian Football Federation acts to cure it before the whole game is tainted further by egocentric men-in-the-middle. This season has been littered with truly diabolical performances from so-called referees, not just in games featuring CD Javea but across the board. Other clubs record their own grievances against match officials who, it would appear, are simply not up to the task of refereeing a football game at this level. In all fairness, the rojiblancos did just about enough to deserve a draw against a very good side from Santa Pola and did indeed get the ball in the back of the net in the drying seconds of the game. One can and should accept defeat under normal circumstances; we played well enough but just didn't take our chances. However the manner in which Sr. Blas Mayor Perez and his assistants controlled the game calls into question the honesty of officials in the local game. Should we miss out of a chance of promotion by a single point, we can look back at this game as the one that lost us the momentum and drive that has seen our side play beyond expectation.

Sour grapes? Certainly not against our opponents, despite their continual diving antics, another sad feature of the local game. Maybe Santa Pola were quicker to realise just how awful the officials were and decided to use it to their advantage? Right from the opening whistle, Sr. Mayor Perez looked uncertain about his role and many debatable decisions went the way of the visitors. Yet 16 minutes into the game he was assured enough to award a penalty  after Juanma was adjudged to have held down his man. However it seemed that he was the only person in the ground to have seen such an offence; everyone else has seen the Santa Pola player back into the defender and then fall dramatically (and with inevitability) to the ground. Germán confidentally hit the ball past Bauzá to put the visitors into the lead; tension and frustration began to overflow in the terraces.

If one didn't know better, one might have suggested that the referee had arrived on the same bus as the Santa Pola squad; indeed one might even suggest that he drove it himself, so keen he was to give the visitors the upper hand during the first-half. That's not to say that Santa Pola CF had any hand in influencing the referee; it's just the referee was so diabolically poor that so many crazy decisions went their way. Santa Pola's No.4 continually deceived both referee and the assistant on the nearside with a succession of foul throws. White shirts crashed to the ground with theatrical flailing on arms and legs accompanied by blood-curdling screams of mock pain, all awarded with free-kick after free-kick. The rojiblancos found it difficult to find their feet, frustrated by the one-sided nature of the officiating, although both Carlos Ribes and Puncho worked hard to try and find their way down either flanks to deliver a number of crosses which the forward line couldn't quite meet.

Half-time heralded loud cat-calls of disapproval from the stands as the official followed the two teams from the pitch. Fifteen minutes later the same shouts of derision welcomed them back onto the pitch. Nothing changed in the second period. Both sides worked terrifically hard to find a way through resilient defences and overcome diabolical refereeing. Cards began to appear, the referee having lost control of the game and many present will find it difficult to accept why Canari was booked mid-way through the second-half, just as he was about to hit a free-kick. The assistant on the near side decided that he needed to get in on the comedy act as the game drew on and repeated called upon his referee to book various occupants on the Javea bench. Frustrations spilled over; fans grew increasingly boisterous, understandably so considering the absolute farce being played out on the pitch by the officials.

As the game drew to a close, Javea forced a corner. Santa Pola were tiring and the crowd sensed that a goal might be forthcoming. Someone suggested with shrewd perception that if the rojiblancos were to get the ball into the back of the net, the goal would be disallowed. It doesn't take a mastermind to guess what happened next. The corner was floated in and a head directed the ball towards goal. The keeper blocked well but the tall centre-half Miguel Ramal was quickest to react and nodded the loose ball into the net to spark an explosion of joy in the stand and on the pitch. However the ecstacy was short-lived; the 'goal' was disallowed for offside and minutes later the game was brought to a close. Home fans surrounded the tunnel and vented their fury against the officials as they left the pitch escorted by club officials. Whilst the club cannot necessarily condone such actions of protest, they must be able to acknowledge the frustration of the fans, let down by diabolical officiating. We know it's a tough job - but if someone is so obviously not up to the task then the VFF needs to act now to save the game.