UD Lanzarote 1 Real Sporting San Jose 2
31st October 2011
The Rojillos were cruising following an early lead but having a player sent off in the 25th minute and ending the game with nine men allowed the Gran Canarian side to snatch maximum points.
The Conejeros (locals) began the game positively creating the best chances with the highlight being a shot from Javi Morales which hit the post.
The breakthrough came in the 8th minute. After 12 matches the Rojillos top scorer last season Rosmen finally opened up his account for this term. After receiving the ball on the left he beat his defender and with the keeper committed he neatly chipped the ball over his body into the left hand corner giving the Rojillos a 1-0 lead.
Lanzarote looked as though they could win this match comfortably but football has this knack of turning the tables upside down in an instant. In the 23rd minute a free kick from Vladi was met powerfully by Rosmen but somehow the keeper reacted brilliantly saving from three yards.
Two minutes later and Javi Morales reacted angrily to a challenge from a Real Sporting defender, the Ref deemed his reaction to be aggressive and with the help of his opponent rolling around the floor as though he had been punched down by a heavyweight Javi Morales was off and Lanzarote had to play the majority of the match with only 10 men as they did last week.
The visitors who have not won away this season or even scored a goal still played cautiously knowing they had plenty of time to get something out of the game. The Rojillos still looked the more dangerous of the two sides as they went into the half time break with their one goal lead.
The Rojillos were still showing their superiority in the opening stages of the second period. In the 54th minute Rosmen fed fellow striker Alex Yunes on the right, the Venezuelan unleashed a powerful strike which was well saved by the Sporting keeper Isaac.
Ten minutes on and Echedey released Rosmen, the tall centre forward fired in a wonder drive only to see his effort fly off the bar.
In the 72nd minute catastrophe caught hold once again. On a rare attack a shot for the Gran Canarian side hit the hand of Rojillos centre back Adrián Martín and not only did the Ref award a spot kick but he also showed a red card to the defender.
Striker Domingo made no mistake from the penalty by sending the Lanzarote keeper Santi Lampón the wrong way to level the scores at 1-1. Six minutes later and with the Rojillos defence stretched to the maximum with just their nine players left on the field, struggled with a cross from the right. The ball travelled to the far post and was met by the lonely figure of striker Ayoze who gratefully tucked the ball home giving his side an unlikely 1-2 advantage.
It would be a cruel person to deny the Rojillos players lacked passion. The nine men forced their opponents to defend and had two good opportunities to level the match. The tireless Jotha struck from the edge of the box only to see his effort inch past the upright and Yunes saw his strike saved.
The players from Sporting picked up a string of yellow cards for time wasting and fouls but still held firm and claimed their first away win of the season whilst the Rojillos suffered their first home loss.
On Tuesday Lanzarote travel to Tenerife to face bottom club CD Charco del Pino and Sunday the Rojillos are playing at home against ninth placed side Las Zocas.
