It’s a team game football and at CD Tenerife the fans are a vital part of that team. This 3-1 home win over Real Madrid Castilla really proved the point as the fans responded to a rallying call after last weeks shock defeat, and the players responded with a gutsy, passionate performance that had the entire 13,400 crowd purring.

It was a tough build up with injuries and suspensions and fate added another late blow with Loro failing his fitness test. All the peñas (fan clubs) put on a dazzling pre match display of tifo and banners and it kick started the on pitch action as Chechu cut in down the right and crossed the ball just out of reach of Kike Lopez. Kiko and Perona were linking well up front but there were early signs that Tenerife couldn’t rely on any help from the ref, he seemed to have a blind spot for fouls on home players. Perona had a strong chance after 15 minutes but scooped his shot over the bar.

Castilla had plenty of skill and broke well down the right to carve out a 19th minute goal for Juanfran. Tenerife came back strongly, Kiko should have done better when the visiting keeper spilled the ball but he should have already passed to Perona unmarked at the post. There was no mistake a few minutes later when the ball broke to Perona and he glanced the ball in the net with his head to square the game. Just after the goal Kiko got booked, that will rule him out for next weeks home game. Just before the break Kiko showed his worth with a nice lay off to Zazo but the midfielder couldn’t convert the chance.

Castilla began the second half strongly and Denis went close with a shot that looped over the bar as Razak advanced. The Ghana keeper was having a steady debut although he needs to work on his kicks in training. Aridane came on for Kiko as Tenerife went in search of the win spurred on by the constant roar of the crowd. The ref was dishing yellow cards out to the home players but missed most of Castilla’s heavy challenges. It was that man Perona again who hit the net for a deserved lead after 67 minutes and Tenerife were good value for it. Ruben Rosquete came on for Chechu as the ref showed his true colours, Razak tried to take a goal kick but was impeded by a Castilla player, then when he got room to take the kick the ref booked him for time wasting. There was worse to come, Joselu tried to pick a fight with Tenerife’s physio as he walked back around the goal and then floored Cristobal with a two handed push to the chest, strangely it only produced a yellow card.

The game went into injury time but our nerves were saved by a raid on the Castilla goal that ended with a Kike Lopez goal slotted in from an acute angle. It was no more than Tenerife deserved, every player and every fan did their job and coach Garcia can now boast five wins in his six games. This was Tenerife at their best, even the fans copping a free view from up in the flats were dancing with joy.