Arise Sir Adriano

For the first and only time, yours truly recently left a top class game of football at half-time. Nope, it was nowt to do with the football being shite either, I didn't have a lot of choice. Actually that's a bit of a fib, I had the option of staying until the end of Elche versus Girona and missing the start of Santa Pola's final game of the season, or, knocking off at half time from Elche's Martinez Valero stadium to catch all of 'Pola and Jove Español. With Elche 0-0 at half time, I elected for option B which was the wrong guess as it turned out because my green and white shirted home town club spanked in four unanswered second half goals against Girona, all of which I missed. Bugger my luck!

Nine months and three different home grounds after it all began, Santa Pola Club de Futbol put their 2009/10 season to bed with an emphatic home win on a late May Saturday evening. With the squad electing for a rare Sunday morning lie-in, preceded no doubt by a post game beer or two, Jove Español arrived for an 1800 kick off at the Manolo Macia, where, entrance was free and more locals than usual took advantage of the offer.

With nothing at stake for either side, Jove were destined to end up mid-table and Santa Pola a creditable fifth or sixth, just out of reach of the play-offs, my initial expectation of this meaningless rubber was a dire game of football both sides couldn't wait to get out of the way. Not so, Santa Pola, and 22 year old striker Adriano in particular, were terrific. The visitors played their part too, but not before finally coming to life mid-way through the second half.

An expertly taken first half poachers hat-trick by that man ensured Santa Pola ended the season as they'd started it, with a welcome and fairly routine three points. With a considerably more familiar look to the side, the performance also had a bit more of what regular watchers have come to expect, decent passing and movement, some nice one touch stuff and plenty of chances. Their opponents from the previous week are a good side, all the more reason then to field the kind of starting eleven at Horadada, Jove Español had to face this evening. (Unless you get me roaring drunk I still refuse to expand on my conspiracy theory),  anyway enough of that.

Three nil to the good at half-time, the interval breakfast baguette and coffee tasted much better than usual as I wandered back to my spot, pitchside on the half-way line, ready for a bit  more. When you're playing well and ahead by a hatful at the break, I always wonder how many they're going to end up with, wishful thinking though, (how often does that happen), because only a single additional goal was added to bother the scorers, and that was by the visitors just a few minutes after the re-start. To be honest, Santa Pola, despite conceding quickly, were in cruise control from early on and appeared to be looking forward to those end of season sherberts with about twenty minutes to go.

Full time 3-1 and that was that, after thirty four games, fifteen wins, fifty six points, fifty goals and an excellent sixth place in the table, the season was over. Enjoy the ales lads, you deserve them.
Arise Sir Adriano? well he definitely deserves one but but the club can't afford it!!!