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Post by bringbacklenwhite on Apr 26, 2023 11:22:47 GMT
Great report. Go Go Go El Palo.
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Post by dudleyhatter on Apr 26, 2023 12:34:21 GMT
Here are the highlights from Sunday.
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Post by dudleyhatter on Apr 26, 2023 12:46:16 GMT
The final league table is attached here, both Marbella and Jaén dropped only one point at home all season. Our away record is second only to Marbella.
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Post by bringbacklenwhite on Apr 26, 2023 18:08:12 GMT
Thank you from all your visual learners
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Post by dudleyhatter on Apr 30, 2023 12:08:37 GMT
So day one of the playoffs has seen me jump on the bus to Torre del Mar (25 minutes and 2.33€). Kick off is at 8pm so a beach day followed by a game under floodlights…
In the other semi final, ten man Jaén equalised in the 91st minute
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Post by gazz on Apr 30, 2023 18:14:56 GMT
Come on, the boys!
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Post by dudleyhatter on May 8, 2023 5:46:16 GMT
So a quick update! From last week we outplayed Torre del Mar across all parts of the pitch, showing why we finished the season well clear of them. During the week we had been contacted by staff at El Palo to ask if we were going and they reserved tickets for us, as we walked up to the ground amongst a good number of home fans it was a nice feeling to ask the ticket desk for El Palo Inglés and be given our tickets. It was a lovely ground with seats on one side and flat terracing on the rest with a view to the mountains. We were, as always, struggling in front of goal but a Baka header just after half time gave us a deserved lead. We were holding on well but one goal is always difficult to defend. In the eighty seventh minute a towering header from the Torre number nine was kept out by a superb reflex save from the keeper with the ball then being headed clear! The small band of El Palo fans, we were in a group of around 25, were making ourselves heard!
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Post by dudleyhatter on May 9, 2023 20:38:32 GMT
And so to Sunday’s second leg, the noisy drummer and megaphone guys from Torre del Mar were in full voice along with a band of fifty or so others. Against them was the might of the Paleño army. As we had finished in a better league position than them and had a one nil lead from the first leg it should be a comfortable afternoon... Unless of course the manager decided to change around the defence, midfield and attack and start with three guys in their forties for a midday kickoff at thirty plus degrees.
Cue of course them scoring from their first attack and our reshaped side struggling to find any rhythm. The first half passed in blue of half chances and dangerous balls into the box for them and ourselves being restricted to speculative efforts that were not worthy of being called shots. Much head scratching and consternation in the stands, surely he had to make changes! He did but still we looked a little lost. Former Boca Juniors player Tanque was looking like a player who is struggling to adjust to his forty three year old body not being able to do what it used to, they but a big strong defender right on him and he was coming off second best. At the back we were still looking wobbly, their centre forward had a clear opportunity and dragged it wide. On sixty minutes a good move by then saw them strike the post, surely we weren’t going to blow a season’s hard work like this. Finally he brought on our regular left back Christian and we went to the three at the back we seem most comfortable with. It was like a switch, from that moment on we dealt with anything coming our way comfortably. Slowly we came more into the game and began to fashion some chances. As always though we lacked that vital finishing touch and so as we got to full time that was it! As the higher ranked team we go through…or so we thought!
No, higher league ranking comes into affect after extra time and after away goals are included. It just guarantees no penalty shoot out. Therefore we entered into prorrogación (which you might recognise from when Boris lied to the queen to extend the parliamentary session!).
Extra time continued like the final part of the match with us looking more dangerous and them offering very little. But a goal for them would mean we would need two… with the ebb and flow of the game we looked more likely to score but you never know. Half time in extra time arrived with no addition to the scoring.
Then we, the El Palo Inglés group, made a momentous decision. We had been sat towards the away part of the stand which was noisy with their foghorn and drum. Remember the days of walking along the Popside to be at the end County were attacking? Well that’s what we did. As we settled into our, standing room only, change of position there was a change on the pitch too as old man Tanque (105 minutes at 43 years of age!) and young gun Destiny were substituted off. To be replaced by the least effective striker we have Acosta and (little) Javi Lopez. What happens next? You know it, ball is played long by the keeper, bounces through to our right winger, his shot is blocked by the keeper, comes back out and instead of shooting g the ball is played across the Acosta ten yards out and he BURIES IT!!!!!
Goooooooollllllllll
In other news Jaén were against Málaga B. First leg score 1-1 with a late equaliser for ten man Jaén. They took an early lead in the home leg and held on until the hour mark, when the young guns of Málaga equalised. This game too went to extra time and for the first time this season Real Jaén tasted defeat on the home turf with a winner in the first half of extra time for the kids!
Therefore we now face Málaga B away and then home over the next two weekends. We have the advantage if the games finish equal.
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Post by dudleyhatter on May 9, 2023 21:00:04 GMT
And here are the highlights
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Post by dudleyhatter on May 9, 2023 21:01:37 GMT
I should also add that as we were collecting the flag after the game we had a group photo with El Tanque on the pitch and then I was interviewed by the local tv station - in Spanish!
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Post by bringbacklenwhite on May 10, 2023 8:22:25 GMT
Fantastic result and all looks good for the play-off finals. Great report.
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Post by gazz on May 10, 2023 9:18:29 GMT
Superb result and fantastic report, Duds!
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Post by ceefer on May 10, 2023 15:24:41 GMT
Well done El Palo and supporters.
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Post by dudleyhatter on May 17, 2023 19:17:21 GMT
Sunday gone saw El Palo travel all the way to Málaga B. On the 11 bus there were a crowd of Paleños singing all the way. As we got to the ground, where we played just a few weeks ago securing a one all draw with ten men, it was apparent that there was going to be a much higher crowd as there were queues down the street!
Inside and the noisy Paleño crowd made themselves known! Considering when I started going three and a half years ago there were maybe 300 fans for El Palo home games to see between two and three hundred travelling was impressive. On to the game.
In summary, their team is lesser than the sum of its parts and ours is greater. This was a tight game, both league fixtures ended in draws, with few clear cut chances for either side. We had the ball in the net twice in the first half one was a many yards offside, the other a closer call but the highlights suggest it was a good one.
As in the previous game at their ground we were reduced to ten men when our captain and centre half Lulu got too close to their striker. Someone in the stands obviously shot the striker because the cry of agony could be heard reverberating off the surrounding hills. The only point of interest after that was a superb double save from our keeper. Sadly I shall be missing the return game this Sunday as I’m making a flying visit back to the U.K. to see my parents and in particular my mum who isn’t too well.
I would post the highlights but they’re not worth it!
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Post by gazz on May 17, 2023 20:15:20 GMT
I'm not going to comment on the football, Duds, I'm just going to say that I hope your mum gets better soon, mate.
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