Into his second season, and still without a senior goal, 25 year old Nigerian forward Emmanuel Apeh hit a 55th minute winner to keep CD Tenerife in third position. The powerfully built striker was a surprise pick to start at home to bottom placed Alcorcon.
The game was dreadful, short of creative play of note, and littered with silly errors, Tenerfe had another experiment with the defence, Sergio Gonzalez did well spreading to his right to release French full back Mellot to add to his attacking education. Emmanuel still looked unsure and predictable in the few coherent charges at their visitors.
The 11,800 crowd hoped for better in the second half. but it was stil turgid stuff after taking the lead, An Alcorcon defender stepped over a cross into the away goal as Emmanuel crashed in between a sea of legs and drove the ball into the underside of the net. Fame was short lived as coach Ramis replaced the scorer with Roberto Diaz just four minutes later. It may still be enough to rescue Apeh from a January transfer window loan to a lower division team for at least part of his remaining 18 months of contract.
Sam Shasoua was out of favour again fron the home squad. the coach knows how to serve up the surprises. Few local fans or media can predict his match line ups – but if they cant second guess him, the opposition has no chance. Long live confusion and long live the promotion dream,
As Agatha Christie brought murderers to book in Puerto de la Cruz, Alexander Von Humboldt cut a lonely figure surveying the La Orotava valley from his concrete mirador a mere 5 kms up above the city. Back in the post Covid world, the Fenix was raising job hopes in Santa Ursula. With Santas already abseiling up and down musical ropes, it was time to recharge my Titsa unlimited travel residents ticket for another month.
Events were outlined on the Puerto de la Cruz street posters for the 8th Agatha Christie festival from 5 to 14 November, all based on a short stpry penned by the prolific crime queen back in 1927 on a visit to the north Tenerife city. It´s grown over the years to include readings, plays, and music, and has helped to raise the city profile far beyond Tenerife. Always keen to turn the page to new activities, Puerto de la Cruz had just become the first Tenerife municipality to confirm their 2022 Carnava, fom 17 Feb to 13 March.. Santa Cruz is the biggie and is preparing for their own parties but are still a little shy of confirming dates as Covid restrictions change.
Von Humboldt invented geo botany after sailing in to Tenerife back in 1799 with his journals and telescope, and marvelling at all the plant and insect life that abounds here. This was my third visit to his lofty free viewpoint, and it seemed like the great German explorer was edging nearer to the sheer drop edge of the balcony as he waited for people to pop in to see him. The only other visitors were a German couple who said they didn´t know about our Alex, I suspect they had eased their hire car into the tight layby in hope of finding toilets, but all facillities have been closed since re-opening after a previous spruce up. Maybe an online visitors book address by his biography plaque might encourage some feedback.
I shall keep taking this high road on the TF-21 as it leads onto Santa Ursula, La Victoria, and La Matanza, three of the smaller but most interesting municipalities on the island. Santa Ursula had declared November, Fushion En Verde month with revamped premises, offers and an overall push to help local businesses as part of the Proyecto Fenix campaign, and the response looked encouraging. The neighbours were looking decidedly quieter. It´s a tough situation, these areas have to fight for their share of rural tourism trade. All credit to those who take chances and try new ideas, maybe the influx of tourists from newly accessed destinations will filter through to boost others as well in the north.
As cool as a stroll along the banks of the Seine, Jeremy Mellot teed up the ball wide and high on the right and thundered it past the bewildered Girona goalie. Not bad for his first CD Tenerife goal since joining in the summer from the French Second Division. Already admired for his staunch custody of the right back slot, Mellot continued the weekly emergence of new heroes in this quality squad. Enric Gallego ensured a 2-1 home win and third place with his own outstanding drive after 80 minutes.
In the search for perfection, coach Ramis can point out the possible drag factor of bookings and suspensions. Aitor Sanz got a second minute yellow and second half sub Pablo Larrea got a straight red after 87 minutes for a wild tackle and an Oscar winning perfprmance from his victim.
Girona are part of the City Group and included three Manchester City loanees in their squad. Nahuel Bustos was their starting target man but was kept under lock and key by Sipcic in the first half and was taken off part way through the second half. Home keeper Soriano made light work of a few speculative shots while Elady and Gallego were always a danger going forward. Ruben Diaz found the away stopper with a soft shot but it was Girona who emerged more alert for the opening of the second half.
The Tenerife midfield gave up too much room and Baena finished well to level the scores. Sam Shasoua was quiet by his standards and made way for Bermejo as Ruben departed in favour of livewire Mollejo. The two new additions revitalised the home attacks and it was just a matter of time before Tenerife reeled Girona in. The gallego goal was just reward for siege of their visitors half. Mollejo should have added an third goal late on but tried to push it straight through the goalie instead of passing or rounding him.
The refs VAR check before dispatching Larrea, and his fussy delays on late home subs, made for a nervous six minutes of extra time. Sergio Gonzalez and Shaq Moore barely had time to feel the pitch beneath their feet before the ref finally signalled another hard earned and confident three points for CD Tenerife. Just 10,173 fans this time, they deserve a much bigger audience.
Only the woodwork saved visitors Burgos FC from a feeding frenzy as Cd Tenerife romped to a home 4-0 victory. Tenerife had goals in their eyes from the kick off. Victor Mollejo waded through a sea of defenders legs to p9ke in a 5th minute opener. Burgos looked poor but in the past so called easy opposition have often caught Tenerife on the hop.
A 10 minute twitch after conceeding was all the reds could offer, as the power, pace, and pressure of the home side pinned them down. Sam Shasoua fed Elady whose shot bounced off a defender, allowing time for the goalie to flick it aside. Alex Bermejo was having one of hiis most creative games, he spotted an opening and unleashed a fierce shot that cannoned back off the crossbar. The second goal follwed after 40 minutes from a crisp move by Bermejo, through Elady to Shashoua to drill into the back of the net.
Half time was just a short respite for Burgos, Bermejo got the goal his hard work deserved after 54 minutes with an angled strike as he ran in from the left. Mollejo tucked an effort just wide of the goal before coach Ramis made two subs, replacing Bermejo and Aitor Sanz with Michel, and Ruben Diaz. It didn´t stop the attacking flow, the squad all know there is something special brewing in Santa Cruz and they all want to play a part in it. Shashoua cracked a shot straight at the under siege goalie and two more swaps followed.
Sergio Gonzalez replaced Alexandre Correrdera but the most welcome change was the injury return of Enric Gallego for his outstanding understudy Elady. Tenerife were still hungry, defender Pomares struck a thundebolt shot that grazed the bar. Gallego showed he had retained his sharpness, when a well flighted ball came his way, the striker found space to stretch the keeper and put the ball wide of him to make it 4-0. Even a VAR referral couldn´t wipeout his precision. It was a comprehensive win to put CD Tenerife back to third place. Crowds are still growing, 12,163 had the pleasure of seeing this game as the club anthem soared from the terraces and bounced around the stadium