Clear chances were at a premium in the 0-0 draw between CD Marino and CD Tenerife B but when danger did call, both keepers, David of Marino, and Otaño of Tenerife met it with a safe pair of hands. Both teams were occupying mid table after early season promise had slipped away. Aleman looked hesitant in the heart of the visitors defence and was beaten easily by Ahmed before Otaño tidied up. Tenerife had a chance at the other end from a corner, Tito couldn´t connect with the ball as it came across. Sesma spotted home team mate Mylan in a good position and made the pass but his shot went wide. Tenerife were relying too much on hopeful long balls up the field, Torres raced to catch one but David reacted quicker. There was a blow for the away team when Samu was injured in a tackle, he tried to run it off before having to give way to sub Javi.

Another speculative ball from Tenerife was heading to Josue, Brayan read it well and made a strong intervention. Neither side could really find any consistency, twice the visitors were awarded free kicks and hit the ball straight into the defending wall. Saavedra tried his luck with a high long ball into the Tenerife box, Otaño was safely under it with a clean catch. Tenerife left back Jeremi made a good run but his swinging cross was expertly covered by David in the home goal. Mylan had the last word for the half, he took the ball inside the away defence but the finish was just wide.

Marino opened the second half with their tails up. A free kick left the Tenerife defence scrambling and it was down to Otaño to deprieve Saavedra of a shot at close range. Both teams couldn´t make their free kicks count, Guti struck one straight at Otaño. The game should have swung in favour of Tenerife when Bamba got a second booking and was sent off for Marino. The blues reorganised, bringing on Alberto for Mylan and they saw off an increased spell of pressure from their opponents. Tenerife captain, Fede, led by example as he pushed up from right back to help his forwards, he got a couple of good crosses in, again the finishing touch was missing.

Borja Llarena and Adri entered the action as subs for Tenerife and both had a positive impact. Borja, who played for the Tenerife first team at the end of last season, showed much more awareness and got into some good positions, he came close to scoring with a bullet header. Adri was tough in the tackle and hard to shake off the ball. Marino tried to shake things up to, Djavan was added to the attack in place of Ahmed. It revived the blues attacking urges, Brayan was well placed for a header but Otaño plucked the ball off his head. Torres made a breakaway for Tenerife, David was alert and showed that he intended to match the other stopper.

It must have been quite daunting to the teams to come up against two goalies on top form, a curled free kick from Guti was snuffed out by Otaño, and Josue was out jumped at the other end by David. The final home sub, Jony, forced a couple of corners that Tenerife cleared, and deep in injury time Alberto couldn´t quite stretch to keep in an offside pass that evaded the refs whistle. It ended honours even, thanks in no small part, to the hard working keepers.

No school, no college, and no work, Saturday is a great time to throw off any inhibitions you have, and the two daytime Carnaval specials in Los Cristianos were a real family treat. The first week it was the Wig Party, and the second was a music and dance bonanza, both kicking off at noon.

The devotion, humour, and wow factor were evident throughout. The Arona Carnaval theme was Jungle but it was mixed with lots of old favourites, and recycling. There was an element of competition at both the Wig Party and the fancy dress competition at the Plaza del Pescadora, near the beach, on the second week. Prize money was given but in my eyes everyone was a winner, some deserved a prize for being able to dance whilst wearing high heels, heavy cloaks and jackets, and make up that must have made the world look like a blur.

Security gets a bit higher each year as organisers try to stem the flow of over enthusiastic young drinkers, but they try to be discreet and not squash the fun out of the revellers. Another welcome addition this year was a small violet coloured kiosk that ladies could head for if they felt vulnerable.Hopefully they didn’t have many takers, the mood of the Carnaval party is always friendly, and the crowd is a mix of locals, ex pats, and holiday makers. It’s quite an eye opener for newcomers, especially some of the cheekier outfits.

The main stage in the show ground was booming out dance music into the wee hours, and two smaller stages near the cultural centre featured DJ’s and more specialist grooves. A large fun fair offered thrills just across the road, and a large variety of food and drink stalls catered for every need. Walking along the beach promenade late on the Saturday evening, the celebrations were overflowing to surrounding bars and the sand. Parking is always challenging but at least the old spare land behind the Valdes Centre was back in free use this year.

The weather teased this year with sudden localised downpours nearby but the heart of the Carnaval led a charmed life and was bathed in sunshine. One of my highlights was seeing two large orange dinosaurs waddling in time to the music – and that was before I had started on the Dorada!