LANZAROTE 3 UD IBARRA 0
LANZAROTE 3 UD IBARRA 0, 4th January 2015
U.D. Lanzarote have now completed the first half of their league campaign and with this win on Sunday they remain unbeaten at home with 8 wins and 2 draws and are one point clear at the top of the league with 39 points.
Considering Rojillos manager Adolfo Pérez aim at the beginning of the season was to reach safety at 40 points with his new and young squad, to say the team is doing well would be quite an understatement.
With the best crowd of the season with a little over 600 fans in a vociferous mood only a victory would do. Adolfo keeps telling me that the other clubs in this league envy the support Lanzarote has with most unable to attract 200 supporters.
With our great expat and tourist following Adolfo can only thank all the British, Irish, German and a host of other nations for supporting this small club based on one of the most beautiful islands in the world. Without this foreign support Adolfo does doubt his side would have only dropped four points at home in the first half of the season.
This home support has no doubt given the side confidence to take on their travels. After a bad away start with just taking two points in their opening four matches the Rojillos away form has began to sparkle with four wins in their last five games on the road.
Adolfo, the club President Domingo Machín and club Director Domingo Gil and all the players keep telling me to thank all expat and tourists who keep turning up as this support is a major reason why the club has done so well this season.
Even though this game against mid table side UD Ibarra was not the finest the team has produced it ended in a strong second half with the Rojillos comfortably claiming all three points.
The first half by this season’s standard was very poor with most of the action happening in the centre of the pitch. The Tenerife side only looked threatening from set pieces though rarely worried Lanzarote´s back four. The Rojillos were not much better as their only strike on goal came from a Toñito free kick which the ball stopped dead in the penalty area but Falo´s strike was saved low by Rudy the Ibarra keeper.
The only incident which caught the eye was at the end of the first half when a bust up between the two sides saw Lanzarote´s vice Captain Ángel Gil and Tenerife midfielder Rubén Rosquete both see red after a clash of heads.
Both sides were down to 10 men though Lanzarote knew that they had more flair than their opponents so this was likely to work in their favour by being able to create more space.
Just five minutes into the second period and a corner swept in by Toñito was headed by British boy Brad, the keeper could only parry the ball and centre back Francis Hernández thoroughly enjoyed his moment as he blasted the ball home from a couple of yards sending the Rojillos 1-0 up.
The visitors realized that to stay in the game that they had to fight and were rewarded with a host of yellow cards for some eager tackling which was a little too committed for the Referees liking. The midfield of Lanzarote which was perhaps a little lightweight at the beginning of the season has now strengthened and with central midfield Brad Cockerill having adapted to life in Spain’s fourth tier of football and upped the standard this has been noted by Segunda A (Championship) side league leaders U.D. Las Palmas. The Segunda A side that only missed out on promotion on the final five minutes of last season have an eye on our 19 year old British lad. If he can improve even more this incentive is a dream come true for all U.D. fans.
On the hour mark the hard working Colombian Mauri doubled his sides lead with a sharp strike on the edge of the area and eased any worries about his team dropping any points.
The Tenerife side had little option but to come forward. In doing so the Rojillos knew that they were well capable of hitting their opposition hard on the break.
The pace of Lanzarote´s frontline eventually reaped its rewards. Toñito flying down the right flank was upended and the Ref had no hesitation in awarding a spot kick. Captain Rosmen powered the ball through the middle to make the final score 3-0.
The Rojillos have another great chance to increase on their superb home form as they are home this Sunday to SD Tenisca (La Palma). The match is scheduled for Sunday 11th January at 1.30pm. As always check for confirmation on here and Lanzarote football club on Facebook a couple of days prior to the match to avoid any disappointment.
GOALS
1-0 min 50 Francis Hernández
2-0 min 60 Mauri
3-0 min 82 Rosmen (penalty)
