Torry drop more points and places

TWO POINTS from a possible nine does not a promotion side make!

Not good news for FC Torrevieja who on a beautiful autumn day, with their largest crowd of the year and a one man advantage for the last twenty minutes of the game, failed to take all three points in a lack-lustre performance against a very average Joven Espanol team whom they should have disposed off with ease.

The early season promise of leading the league for one week now sees them dropping out of the promotion zone. Not that all is lost and at this early stage of the season; they still have plenty of time to get their act together and make the play-offs by the time that May rolls around. Joven Espanol played a cool offside game that Torrevieja had few answers for, managing to catch them out a dozen times during the game. The visitors took the lead on the quarter of the hour only to have Torrevieja equalise though a great shot by Petu just before half time and go into the dressing room full of confidence. However, otherwise, the first half was a fairly dull affair.

The second half was spoilt by more negative tactics from Joven Espanol but Torrevieja were without any answers except to pump the ball down the left wing, send in a cross and hope for the best. Although there were few nasty tackles during the game, double figures, this time ten yellow cards and one red (for two yellows) seem to have become the norm at Vicente Garcia! The ‘Dummies Guide to Play Acting’ was again in force with swan dives to ground, screams that almost woke up a few of the spectators and even had the visitor’s centre forward Toni clutching his head and falling to the ground, almost in slow motion, looking for a red card for Torrevieja! If these were not men in their twenties and thirties it would have been more than comical but these are meant to be semi-professional footballers and each one of them set a very poor standard for the youth at the ground who come to watch the ‘beautiful game!”

Not content with learning their lesson, Muñiz, the Joven Espanol goalkeeper fell to the ground after a soft challenge and writhed in theatrical agony, while waiting for a free kick that was not to be given. He too received a yellow for wasting time at the end of the game. Unfortunately it’s a malaise that one sees every week in local football and possibly until FIFA decide on some major rule changes and maybe go down the route that Rugby has done, where the players do ‘respect the referee’, the simulation, as FIFA like to call it, will continue!

Who knows what is next in store for the torrevejenses and their supporters. They are obviously a side with promise, speed and application, when they put their minds to it. The seven hundred or so supporters left the ground once again wondering where it is all going wrong. It’s still early days and Torrevieja are by no means throwing in the towel but are looking to rebuild on their early form and return to their winning ways.

Keith Nicol