CD U.S. YAIZA 0 LANZAROTE 2
The Rojillos made amends for their 0-1 bitter home derby defeat last October by winning 0-2 and lifting up to 6th spot and firmly back into playoff contention.
The second Lanzarote goal leapfrogged them above Yaiza who drop to 7th and will give huge encouragement to the Rojillo players, management and fans for the final nine games that remain.
The importance of this match from Lanzarote´s point of view was enormous. A defeat would have meant a six point gap to their playoff rivals having played two more matches and would have put a huge dent into the Rojillos playoff aspirations. For Yaiza they are still in the driving seat but they will be concerned that they have lost three games on the bounce.
The locals had the majority of possession in an opening scrappy 20 minutes with the best chance coming in the 19th minute when a free kick from Juanca forced the Rojillos keeper Alejandro to tip over the crossbar at full stretch.
Lanzarote began to gather momentum and whilst there was good movement and passing they were not posing a huge threat to the Yaiza keeper Floro.
A minute before the break and the Rojillos were awarded a spot kick when captain Ayoze Pérez was brought down following a failed lunge from a defender. The Argentinean Di Renzo sent the keeper the wrong way and gave his side a 0-1 advantage to take into the break.
The game picked up pace in the second half as players were flying into tackles as you would expect in a derby game. The home side once again had the slight advantage of possession but they were up against the leagues meanest defence and like many teams this season could not find a way through the red wall.
The visitors were looking sharp on the break and early on in the second period local lad Kevin Lemes crossed deep from the right to Traoré, his first touch was good and his second was struck from 12 yards on the volley and shaved the outside of the left hand post.
Midway through the second half and the visiting fans were delighted to see the return of the fabulous little Brazilian striker Alyson (main photo). The 19 year old had been out for more than a month but he looked fresh as a daisy as he ran at the Yaiza defence.
It wasn’t going to be Alyson who was going to steal the limelight but it was his going to be his fellow countryman Matheus, the no nonsense centre back brilliantly headed in from 10 yards using all the power of his neck muscles from a pin point Ayoze Pérez free kick in the 83rd minute.
The Rojillos cracking centre back Matheus scorer of the second goal.
At 0-2 to the good Lanzarote kept their concentration for the remainder of the match to firmly put them back in the chase for a playoff spot.
The Rojillos are up to 6th position though there are plenty of teams just below and with games in hand so its highly possible than Lanzarote will drop a place or two before the weekend ends.
Next Sunday 13th March at 12 noon Lanzarote are up against one of those teams CD Herbania. The Fuerteventura side are in 9th place and trail Lanzarote by just a point and have played two games less. It looks like another battle.
GOALS
- 0-1 min 44 Di Renzo (Penalty)
- 0-2 min 83 Matheus
