Cantoria 2017 hosted AOVE Villacarrillo Club de Fútbol de Jaén this Sunday at the Los Olivos Municipal ground, in a direct duel between two teams fighting to stay in the category.
More than 700 people were on hand to support Ricardo Mora’s team, who needed a win to move away from the danger zone, but a bad day for the Cantoria side led to widespread disappointment and now they will have to fight to the end with Villacarrillo, Martos, Atarfe and Berja, all within three points of each other.
Nerves may have played a part, but there is also a need to get to grips with the feelings, which on Sunday started very badly for the home side from minute one.
Less than two minutes into the game and the visitors had already taken the lead with a great goal by Balle, preceded by a mistake by Darío when he came out to cut the ball back.
In the 7th minute, another indecision by the home defence on a ball from Yepes from the opposing goal was capitalised on by Manuel Zapata «Chaquetas», to put the score at 0-2.
Disbelief and disbelief in the local fans who saw their team groggy, needing something to happen to change the initial dynamic.
Cantoria took a step forward and took advantage of one of the resources that they sometimes use in an exaggerated way. A free kick from the left that Dario put in and Danny pushed it in. The goalkeeper slaps the ball away from inside the goal and the linesman Jesús Segovia marks it as a legal goal. 1-2 in the 11th minute.
In the 26th minute Miguel Ángel had a chance but the ball went over the crossbar.
In the 30th minute, what was probably the key play of the match took place. Abdou fell in the area and the referee Antonio Luis Rodríguez awarded a penalty. It was the striker himself who asked to take the spot-kick, but it was Darío who had to take the spot-kick. Yepes guessed the post and saved the shot. The goalkeeper kept the advantage and gave a blow to the home side who still believed in the comeback.
From then on the game was a different one. Despite the psychological blow, Migui could have equalised early in the second half but the ball went over the crossbar. Two minutes later, a long ball that Carlos had under control halfway between him and the goalkeeper Alberto – who replaced Guille at the restart due to dizziness – was taken by Taron, an old acquaintance, to make the score 1-3.
From then on, the confusion was absolute. Mora gave everything he had on the pitch, but at that point nobody escaped the general horror. Jhon, the visiting number 19, found a highway on the left flank and after a gallop his cross was again picked out by Taron who scored to make it 1-4.
The 1-5 was an identical move. The Cantorian midfielders were left complaining that the ball had gone wide while Jhon continued to do his thing which was to run forward and put crosses in behind. This time he found Fernando Jorquera who made it 1-5.
The Almanzora side now have two finals left. This coming Sunday they return to Los Olivos to host Mijas Las Lagunas, second in Group 2 of the Andalusian Division of Honour, with 53 points, in the 29th match of the season.