LANZAROTE 2 UD VILLA SANTA BRÍGIDA 3
Ten man Lanzarote came within eight minutes of clinching victory in an incident packed match though remain in 8th spot whilst Santa Brígida go top of the table.
The team wore their third strip of pink and white in recognition of International Day of Breast Cancer on another scorching hot day in Arrecife.
Lanzarote began the match at a fast pace and looked the much livelier of the two sides. Early on defender Matheus came close with a powerful header from a corner kick and Meca forced a good save from the Gran Canarian goalkeeper.
The Rojillos were making the second placed side work hard but were finding it difficult to break down a defence that has just conceded one goal this season.
It may have ended in defeat but it was a great afternoons entertainment.
Manager Mateo García would have been pleased how his side performed in the opening 45 minutes though they had not found the breakthrough.
In similar fashion to last week Lanzarote stormed out for the second period and again within the first minute they were 1-0 in front as Rodrigo shot home from close range.
The home side were good value for their lead and they looked a good bet to add to that score line but in the 53rd minute Keita controversially picked up his second yellow card and Lanzarote were reduced to ten men.
Keita dismissed after 53 minutes.
Playing with a man less at any time is a huge disadvantage but on a day with temperatures soaring into the early 30´s it was going to be an energy sapping 40 minutes for the team in pink.
The Rojillos kept good discipline and even though the visitors enjoyed more possession it was Lanzarote who had the best opportunity for that next goal. The tireless Di Renzo was battling for everything up front as the lone striker. In the 75th minute the Argentinean won possession and fired in a vicious strike from 25 yards only to see the keeper brilliantly get his fingertips on the ball to deflect his strike off the inside of the post and away to safety.
Seven minutes later Lanzarote were to be reminded how cruel football can be. Instead of going 2-0 up with that Di Renzo strike, in the space of five minutes they found themselves 1-3 down.
In the 82nd minute Di Renzo had cleared a header on the edge of his penalty area on the right, for some unknown reason the referee gave the visitors a free kick. The subsequent strike hit the Rojillo wall wrong footing keeper Ruymán and out of nowhere it was 1-1.
Two minutes later Santa Brígida then stuck the dagger into Lanzarote with a shot inside the 18 yard box across goal from Lucas to give his the lead at 1-2.
A painful five minutes costing three goals.
Worse was to follow as only three minutes had elapsed before the visitors were awarded a penalty when Raúl brought down the right winger on the edge of the penalty area. Ruymán saved the spot kick from Santi but could do nothing as the ball fell kindly back to the same player who scored his second and restored his teams two goal advantage with the score at 1-3.
Even though Lanzarote were staring defeat in the eye they did not drop their heads and continued to fight. In the third minute of added on time they were rewarded when sub Adrían Machín glanced his header inside the far post from a Manu Cedenilla corner and it gave a glimmer of hope at 2-3.
Lanzarote bombarded the Gran Canarian penalty area with keeper Ruymán spending several minutes in the final third of the pitch but it was not to be as Santa Brígida move two points clear at the top whilst Lanzarote remain in 8th spot.
Next week Lanzarote travel to Gran Canaria and face UD Las Palmas B.
GOALS
1-0 min 46 Rodrigo
1-1 min 82 Santi
1-2 min 84 Lucas
1-3 min 87 Santi
2-3 min 93 Adrían Machín
