Torry Crisis Deepens

Sport » Soccer » General

Andy Hermida / 2006-03-13 11:22:09

The rift with Polanco is widening

A spectacular goal by Catarroja midfielder Alejandro Navarro ten minutes from the end condemned the hapless Torrevieja manager Rojo to his third consecutive 1-0 defeat in ten days. And with a record in which he has achieved a haul of just 15 points in the 12 games since his appointment the form we have seen since the arrival of the former Albacete man would be more fitting to a team struggling at the wrong end of the table than one pushing toward Segunda B.

With Catarroja's woeful record and Torrevieja's injury hit lineup the game always threatened to produce very little and so it proved as neither side mounted any real attempt on goal in the opening quarter. Indeed Rojo's injury woes were evident in his team selection, the Torrevieja boss springing a surprise by bringing Virivi back into the side, presumably to continue his run of inferior performances. Quite how the new arrival can possibly be chosen ahead of Victor and Corcoles when his only contribution to the game is staying away from the ball is a question that remains to be answered. It has been asked and ignored on too many occasions but the time is coming when the manager must be called to explain.

Once again Jules worked hard all afternoon. He ran and chased for everything. He regularly came out of challenges with a ball that he had no right to win but much of the good he contributed was promptly undone when he laid the ball off. In the midst of much of the confusion were Soriano and Virivi, two players brought in by the Technical Director Cordero, a man we were told who knows the game 'inside out'. As a mere supporter I'm afraid that I'm at a complete loss.

Polanco was ineffective and played as if he was simply working out his contract. Indeed he hardly enamored himself to his team mates when taking charge of a free kick on the edge of the box. It was a kick that Ramiro was clearly keen to take. Polanco's selfishness drew more than a degree of heated discussion from his colleagues. But the irony of it all was that in the first half Torrevieja were far better than Catarroja. In fact they controlled the majority of possession limiting their opponents to hardly a chance.

The second period saw a revived Catarroja and they began to pile on the pressure on the visitors goal. Their ambition and desire to win was amplified by three substitutions in as many minutes as to emphasis and as a result Aurelio was forced to make some important saves.

As the hosts continued to heap the pressure on their visitors the Torry crowd might have wondered when Rojo would bring on his 2 fit substitutes, Victor and Corcoles. The answer was just 10 minutes from the end after Catarroja had scored the only goal of the game. In truth it was an exquisite strike, a free kick taken just outside the box which Alex bent beautifully free kick past the unsighted Torry keeper. With the arrival of new life Torry produced some good, effective and attacking football. Indeed Corcoles was unlucky not to level the scoreline when the keeper saved from a point blank shot.

However on a brighter note Torrevieja should be at full strength for their next encounter against Pucol on Sunday when, hopefully, they will put further daylight from the relegation zone.

Catarroja 1 FC Torrevieja 0