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MATCH REPORT No. 3 2007/08
Sunday 16th September 2007
CD FINESTRAT 0 CD JAVEA 2
Author: Mike Smith

CD JAVEA claimed a place in the top three despite a tepid performance against CD Finestrat. For all the enthusiasm and energy clearly evident flowing through this young side, the rojiblancos deserve to be amongst the early pace-setters. However it wouldn't be at all unfair to note that this is not quite the finished product and but for a couple of superb reflex saves early in the match, the result might have been somewhat different. Yet we shouldn't remove too much of the gloss from this win, the fourth in five games, and coach Kenny Brown can be satisfied that his players gave maximum effort once again. However a bit of shooting practice might not go amiss over the next fortnight whilst CD Javea take an enforced rest due to the unfortunate demise of next scheduled opponents CD Dolores. A bit more confidence in front of goal and we might have seen the rojiblancos walk away with a vastly superior goal difference.

It was hot and sunny at the modest football ground nestling a few hundred metres below the town of Finestrat and its exposed position meant that many people huddled in the cool shade of the line of portakabins that served as a bar, toilet facilities and changing rooms before making their way to one of the tiny temporary stands for the start of the match. The view was awful, one of the worst I have certainly experienced, and enjoyment of the game was hampered by netting and the small Futbol-7 goals. However the rojiblancos certainly made us put aside our initial criticism by looking extremely sharp from the start and Javi could have scored within seconds if he had a little more composure.

Yet Finestrat, newly promoted from the Primera Regional, were not about to throw in the towel and two superb reflex saves from Ortola once again saved the rojiblancos from conceding early in the game and surely his continued and valued performances must make him one of the best young keepers around today. However, after the early scare, Javea began to take control of the game and might have gone ahead through Juanito had he composed himself long enough to make more of a shot from the edge of the area after he chased a loose ball which floated out of midfield. Minutes later Javi had another excellent chance after being put through by Juanito but he pulled his shot just wide of the left-hand post.

Just before half-time, Javea began to turn the screw. A free-kick was won on the far left-hand side and Ribes fired close to the ground, the ball passing through the crowded area before being desperately cleared off the line by the Finestrat defence. Javi then rose to meet another free-kick in the area and powered his header against the bar. Plenty of pressure from Javea, including a powerful shot from Ruben Pla, should have produced the goods but somehow the home defence managed to do enough to keep a clean-sheet at half-time.

The rojiblancos took almost total control of the second-half with Finestrat having barely anything more than a half-chance, and once Ribes floated home an excellent free-kick, there was really only going to be one winner. Of course the job was made far easier by the dismissal of two Finestrat players; Nico the keeper was sent off for a second bookable offence whilst substitute Jorge saw a straight red after just a few minutes on the pitch for a cynical tackle on Carlo that had many of the travelling army baying for blood. Striker Alex Cuadrado made the win a little more comfortable with a second goal some five minutes from time and should have opened up plenty of daylight between the two sides with a little more composure (that word again) in front of goal.

Seven points from the opening three games puts CD Javea well in amongst the early pace-setters in Group IV. It's a real shame that the demise of CD Dolores means that we now have to 'endure' a week off until the next game - another AWAY fixture - against our friends down in Almoradi and that we can't keep up the momentum. However I'm sure that Kenny and his staff will ensure that the team remained switched on throughout this enforced break.