How CD Marino didn’t win this game is mystery worthy of Agatha Christie. One goal ahead against a woefully poor San Fernando side who had a very uncertain goalkeeper, it just had to be a home win but in the end CD Marino were hanging on and in debt to Marco Cicovic for some terrific saves.
With a spate of injuries a reshuffle was needed, Josito took over at full back for Bradley Mills who broke his hand in the midweek Copa Heliodoro game. Vitaka replaced Javi Marchena and Kevin Castro was also missing. On the plus side Kiliam made his home debut in the heart of defence and looked a good solid signing. It was a good start for the blues, a well worked attack after four minutes found the Gran Canarian keeper fumbling the ball, it came out to Gaizka and he fired it in the net.
San Fernando relied heavily on a kick and rush style that wasn’t good to watch, Claudio put a free kick wide and with a terrific tackle from Mendy in the box and a sliding save from Marco Civovic the visitors threats came to nothing. Marino were missing the players that could take defenders on and slipped into playing a similar game to San Fernando. With the home initiative lost, the yellows fancied their chances and Javi looped a perfect shot inside the top corner of the Marino net to level five minutes before half time.
San Fernando continued to press at the start of the second half and Marco had to be at this best with two close range stops. Coly came close for Marino with a high header and Airam caught the keeper when he tried to head his team back in front. The Maspalomas bench made a double substitution with an eye to holding onto the point and when Kevin Sanchez replaced Vitaka he relayed instructions to try to spread the play wide. There was encouragement for the home crowd when the San Fernando goalie spilled a cross but it only brought a scrambled corner that was wasted. Suso came on for Gaizka, and would have given the width and speed that was needed but playing a more central role didn’t suit him.
Full back Josua became more of a playmaker for the visitors and he was getting more joy than their big kicks up field had produced. Marco came to the rescue again with a sharp low save and a clean take from the bulky sub Quintero. Coly laid the ball off to Suso and he got a tempting cross into the box but there was no player there to finish off the move. In the end Marino ran out of ideas and two vital points slipped away.