Not a half wit referee, an injury to our goalkeeping goliath Dani Hernandez, or a soaring sense of expectancy could derail CD Tenerife as they saw of Albacte 1-0 in Santa Cruz. It was another confident, all round display, this isn’t the best set of players we have ever seen in the blue and white but the old saying about the whole being greater than the sum of the parts seems pretty appropriate this season.

The crowds are steadily growing, 11, 769 fans in fine voice got an early boost when Choco set up Nano with a delicate pass, Juan Carlos in the away goal slid out to block. A first half goal is a rarity these days, we are used to a patient approach, it can bring its nervous moments, Suso had to back track to intercept Paredes, and German robbed Samu when danger threatened. Dani has the March player of the month award safely stashed in his cabinet at home but has carried his sharpness into April, Fede Vico floated in a free kick that was heading for the far corner of the home net, Dani flung himself across the goal and flicked it aside.

Suso had the best chance of the half, he was forced wide by the keeper and tried to head it past him from the post but Carlos stood tall and diverted the ball away from danger. There was a worrying end to the opening half, Dani went up for a high ball and Pulido flattened him, Dani’s fall was partly responsible for his lower back injury but the foul was worth a yellow and Pulido had already been booked. The ref bottled it and gave a free kick but no booking. Dani emerged for the second half but looked in considerable discomfort, Roberto started warming up and our worst fears were confirmed. Dani took his time to trudge off, daring the ref to take his name, the ref was reeled in like a prize trout and waved the card, that ensures a points suspension next week, handy when you know you wont be fit.

Suso tested the Albacete stopper, Moutinho replaced Javi Lara and Tenerife pushed for the goal. Choco was having a fairly quiet game, he was alert though and threaded a telling ball through to Nano who timed his run perfectly to bury the ball for his 11th goal of the season. Tenerife were purring again, Roberto had little to do except two routine takes and Cristo came on for the last 18 minutes as Nano departed to a deserved ovation. Eager to stake his claim, Cristo peppered the Albacete goal, a wide shot from a Moutinho pass and another close thing from a link up with Choco were not far off. Once again the cries of “Si Se Puede” (yes we can) blasted out around the stadium as the whistle blew.

A first half booking for Raul Camara means he will miss the game at Cordoba, and Roberto will wear the gloves nest week. Two consecutive away games will put the pressure on but confidence is high and the play off spot is still beckoning. It’s a great time to be a CD Tenerife fan.

Football can change so quickly, at half time this clash between CD Marino and CD Tenerife B had 0-0 stamped all over it but a three minute blitz just after the break gave the visitors an edge they never lost in a 1-3 victory.

It’s been a few weeks since I last saw Marino and their line up has undergone some key changes. Kevin Castro has settled well into the right back slot, he still has the pace from his days on the wing but looked solid in the tackle. Ubeda, in his protective face mask, was strong at the back and Adan led the line well up front. Tenerife goalie Angel Galvan was also looking through head gear, one of his first sights was the ball bobbling along his goal line after a scrambled attempt at a save.

Adrian Garcia tried a few raids down his left but got little change out of Kevin, the two Ale’s up front were lively, Gonzalez a recent senior call up for CDT fed Pipo but his shot was wide of the target. Gopar was a little terrier in midfield with some crunching tackles on Marino. Adan turned his defender well on the break for the blues only to be blocked by Adrian Plaza.

Bolaños was the creative energy in the CDT midfield, he won the ball and pushed forward but his half chance didn’t test Marko in the home goal. The half closed with a Cristo run into the box that was stopped by a solid challenge, and a Adrian Garcia break at the other end snuffed out by Marko. Connor got in a strong header after the break that just cleared the crossbar. Then came the double blow, Bolaños surged forward and finished well for a 0-1 lead. Marino made a change, replacing Cristo with Pablo but he hardly had time to settle before Brian Martin rounded off a neat inside pass by Ale Gonzalez.

Marino were struggling to make an impact and brought on Levi for Alberto, the big sub gave them more punch up front and put pressure on Galvan who had made a couple of fumbles. The Tenerife keeper found his best form when Levi laid the ball of the Ameth, his shot looked goal bound, it took a fine low save to deny him. The increased home pressure brought a reward with the minutes running down, Levi powered in and buried the ball in the net with his head. Marino pushed for a late winner and Tenerife exploited that by breaking for sub Hector to make it 1-3 deep in injury time with the last kick of the game.

With a defence as tight as a ducks doorway, CD Tenerife have cornered the market in shut outs but we have been gagging for a goal these last few home games. The return of Choco Lozano was the key to this 1-0 home win over Lugo, as soon as he came off the bench after 56 minutes things started to happen, he’s a natural with either foot or head, and that’s with his underlying injury problems.

Lugo were a good test of Tenerife’s progress, they are a tight unit with a great away record this season. Pereira tried to get behind the home defence in the opening minutes but found stiff resistance. Javi Lara had more of a roving role this week with Suso and Omar patrolling the flanks, he set Nano up for an early chance that wasn’t enough to trouble goalie Jose Juan. German and Ruiz make an impressive pairing in the centre of defence and are keeping young prospect Jorge on the sidelines, Pereira got nothing but frustration from German and his half hearted penalty appeal when falling after a clash with Ruiz wasn’t fooling anyone.

Even when Lugo forced a corner it turned into a breakaway for Nano down the left, Suso headed for a central position to pick up the pass but the cross was wayward. Former home favourite Iriome saw an opening from his wing, he couldn’tmake anything of it as Ruiz mopped up the danger with ease. The visitors ended the half with a Campillo shot that Dani Hernandez dealt with easily. It wasn’t the most dynamic 45 minutes from Tenerife, an upward gear change was needed and thankfully it came after the break. Nano shrugged off the fence for two close calls on goal and Iriome popped a shot wide as the game opened up.

The 10,369 crowd gave a hearty cheer for the arrival of Choco for Omar ten minutes into the restart, he’s always looking for the half chance and getting into good positions for his team mates. Suso sensed the new urgency and unlocked the visitors defence but Javi Lara couldn’t quite get the ball under control when the captain’s pass came to him. Lugo produced a couple of half chances only to find Dani Hernandez in commanding form with two class saves. The goal finally came when Choco spotted Suso running into space and slipped the ball through to him, there may have been a hint of offside but Suso stroked the ball past the keeper to spark the celebrations.

Moutinho came on for Javi Lara and Ricardo got a rare outing replacing Nano, we could even have had a goal glut, Choco forced an impressive tip over from Jose Juan and Suso struck his shot at the keeper when he looked odds on to score. In the end it was a convincing victory with the team spirit shining through and the rising tide of optimism among the crowd reaching new levels. A play off spot is in our sights and it’s all to play for.

Even with an early morning start CD Tenerife could have played until midnight and not scored, it just wasn’t happening in front of goal. Choco Lozano was missed, he’s at very least an impact player for part of a game, and with eight goals he would have been another possible key to unlock a stubborn Real Zaragoza defence in a 0-0 home draw.

CD Tenerife’s back four is the rock that the current seam of good form is built on, German had another stand out game but Javi Lara again outshine all around him, he picks his passes to perfection and is always a danger with free kicks and corners. Angel was back in town and the 10,895 crowd made sure he felt the love, a hail of boos when his name was announced had hardly died down before he took a hopeful dive that further endeared him to the Santa Cruz faithful.

Dani Hernandez denied Angel when he hit a low shot from a team mates head down and Javi Ros cleared the home bar with a shot but that was the best that Zaragoza could offer in the opening exchanges. Tenerife continued to create opening, Omar fired past the post, Javi saw his effort rebound out off the woodwork, and Suso ended the half with another rising shot.

Moutinho was missing with a late injury but that let Omar back into the side, he was frustrated by the Zaragoza keeper after the restart following a soft Nano finish after good work from Suso.There was certainly no shortage of industry and intent from the home side but they just lacked that little extra spark to break the deadlock. The defence pushed up and tried their luck, German rose well to get his head to a corner ball, and Carlos Ruiz dived in among the flying boots but both saw their shots miss the target.

Coach Pep Marti tried to freshen things up, Cristo Gonzalez took over from Nano and got into some promising positions, and Jairo got a run out in place of Suso as the game ticked away. Zaragoza will have been reasonably happy with their away point, for Tenerife it was frustrating but a point keeps the promotion play offs within touching distance.

There are plenty of good things coming from this squad, promotion may be a distant dream but the hard work and improvements of this season should pay dividends next campaign. Upbeat is the mood at the Heliodoro, a little shooting practice may be lined up for the players but as the Armada Sur headed back to the south there was an afternoon of Dorada practice to look forward to.

Another game that got away will be blamed on the dismissal of Raul Camara after 57 minutes for a wild kick at the Almeria keeper but CD Tenerife were lacking in front of goal before and after the incident. A 0-0 home draw was a let down for the 9,398 crowd hoping to see a third straight win.

It was easy to see why Almeria are flirting with relegation rather than trying to regain their Primera status, they were poor and gave Tenerife goalie Dani Hernandez a quiet afternoon. Pre match debate was over who would stand in for suspended Jorge in the centre of defence, German got the nod and had an assured game. Choco had the first decent shout of the match after 11 minutes, Casto snuffed him out by taking the ball at his feet. At the other end German mopped up nicely from Quique but an early booking for Choco ensured his absence from next weeks visit to table topping Leganes.

Suso is back in favour these days and he unlocked the Almeria defence to slip a ball across to incoming Raul Camara but they were on different timetables. Could Nano keep up his hot scoring streak? The young forwards fifth goal in three games was tantalizingly close as his shot whizzed by the post just before the half hour mark. Choco joined in with his own near miss, this one from a header. Almeria could offer little in reply, a long shot from Jose Angel was well wide of the target but at the break there was already a feeling that Tenerife should have been ahead.

Nano is more than a goal scorer, he does a lot of creative work, just into the second half he made a great opening but the support wasn’t there for his cross. Raul Camara is a little tiger and when he clashed with Lolo Reyes as he raced in, keeper Casto was in close attendance, as Raul went over his foot came up and the ref gave him a second booking and sent him off. The goalie flashing his injured thigh at the ref was a touch theatrical and a week late for the Oscars but it may have helped to sway the official. Coach Pep Marti juggled his depleted pack replacing the ineffective Moutinho with natural defender Cristian Garcia.

Almeria had brief thoughts of chasing a win but after Dani made a smart stop from former Tenerife player Durbarbier, they went back into their defensive shells. Even with ten men Tenerife should have gone for the win, Nano made some good runs down the right but continually found himself without any support. Javi Lara replaced Choco and took on set piece duty, Suso set up a good chance for Nano that went begging, and then made way for Omar. The wide player added some urgency and managed a header and a tight angled shot before the ref signaled the end of the game.

We should have known better, leading 2-0 at home to lowly Llagostera after 16 minutes the words landslide and goal feast were perched on our lips but CD Tenerife still made us endure injury time jitters before winning 3-1.

The visitors are a beacon in the money hungry fog of modern football, from a town of 8,000 people they have risen through six divisions in 10 seasons but sat in the penultimate position with just one away point, this was seen as a chance for CDT to break from four games without a win. Choco Lozano was revealed to be nursing a muscle injury since joining from Honduras pre season and he was left on the bench whilst Nano grabbed his chance with an explosive start. Just two minutes after kick off the young local striker pounced on a ball from Moutinho to make it 1-0. Returning forward Juanjo headed wide soon after but losing the ball in a further raid unleashed Nano for a speedy break and deadly finish to stretch the lead.

Feeling like travelers in a strange land we hoped for more but the killer instinct was missing and Llagostera clawed their way back into contention. Querol got into a good position and slipped the ball to Imaz and suddenly it was a little rockier at 2-1. The hat trick eluded Nano, two defenders squeezed him out before he could fire and the resulting corner came to nothing. Cristian Garcia nearly gifted an own goal as his clearance went painfully close to the post and German, preferred to Jorge again, picked up a booking to gain entry to the popular one game suspension club.

Juanjo tested Dani between the sticks and pantomime villain Natalio lived up to his billing with a cynical dive after Carlos Ruiz had robbed him of the ball. Garcia was replaced at half time by Raul Camara and Tenerife made a bright start, Nano got into some space but found no support. Suso skinned Herrero only to shave his shot wide and twice Nano got borderline call backs for offside. Juanjo went off to generous applause and was replaced by Fofo, a striker rumoured to be a possible Tenerife target in the January window. Ricardo should have at least tested the away goalie but was let down by his poor touch.

Attacking midfielder Javi Lara took over from Ricardo and showed plenty of promise on the left, he soon formed an productive understanding with Moutinho. The first corner from Javi was scrambled away and another inswinger was cleared out to Moutinho whose long shot wasn’t far off target. There was a bit of head scratching when coach Pep Marti replaced Nano with Choco Lozano, especially as it was with a corner pending.

Plucky Llagostera had their own chances, Benja chipped over the bar and an anxious finish loomed for the 7,286 crowd. Choco missed a sitter and as the game moved into injury time Fofo thought he had scored, Dani smothered his shot as the Llagostera players screamed that the ball was over, it was a real close call, it’s a good job our groundsman marked out an extra chunky white line. Sighs of relief were still hanging in the air as the ball broke to Suso, the keeper raced out and Suso timed it perfectly to bury the ball and ensure the victory.

A passion for grass roots football and a commitment to share his knowledge with others has taken Dave Peacock from Northern League and police representative football to the St George’s Park National Football Centre in Burton Upon Trent, the 330 acre FA facility. The latest stop is a four week Tenerife holiday combined with an exchange of ideas and training techniques at CD Marino on the Los Cristianos and Playa de Las Americas border.

A youthful 60 year old, Dave has been a regular visitor to Tenerife but watching an August 2015 CD Marino game opened up new opportunities. “I got talking to Steven Gillespie from the club, his two sons have come through the youth set up and he surprised me by pointing out the seniors had just signed Bradley Mills from the Academy of my home town club Middlesborough. I remembered Bradley from regional coaching schools but he knew me as PC Peacock then, I had 30 years in the force.”

Goalkeeper Dave played for Southam and Whitby Town and also represented the police at England and GB level before taking up the flag to officiate at football league games. “I covered games within a two hour radius mainly in the lower divisions but worked some bigger FA Cup games at Manchester City’s Maine Road and a Sky pre season tournament at Middlesborough’s Riverside featuring Benfica, Newcastle, Middlesborough, and Atletico Madrid.”

Coaching his 8 year old sons team led him on another path and he is now and FA Coach Educator and Tutor, helping to guide people through their badges, he is also a mentor and assessor of referees. Dave is well qualified to give a view on the current state of goalkeeping. “These days it’s more 60% feet and 40% hands, they have much more to do in terms of starting off team moves and distributing the ball.” Although he has only seen a few games in Tenerife he has already spotted a few differences in referees. “They don’t seem to interact as much with players, I was always a talker and liked a bit of banter with the players.” CD Marino has a huge youth development programme and Dave is keen to pass on some of his experience to the young players while he is here. “Marino have made me welcome and it’s a great chance to swap ideas, I still feel I am always learning and I love all aspects of the game.” It may be the start of further links with UK football, several clubs have shown an interest in sending youth teams to enrich their growth with that special Tenerife contribution.

A few months ago we would have welcomed mid table mediocrity but now it’s a reality CD Tenerife fans are yearning for more. Carnaval was swinging into action down in the centre of Santa Cruz but despite promotions and freebies the 1-1 home draw with Huesca only pulled in an 11,241 crowd. Some of the sparkle was missing, especially in a poor second half.

Quick out of the traps, Tenerife’s Omar carved out an early opening but it didn’t find a ready finisher. There was a strong penalty claim when Alberto was roughly brushed aside by Bambock in the box, the ref was lenient to put it mildly and said no. The big surprise this week was the dropping of Raul Camara, Cristian Garcia took his right back place and played well. Saul enjoyed another stand out performance at left back and German was reliable cover for suspended Jorge.

Choco is the man who can excite the fans, he was busy as always, good in the air and always sniffing for a half chance on the ground. Huesca didn’t have a lot to offer but when they threatened the home goal Dani cleared with a powerful two handed punch clear. Cristian Garcia prompted a lesser penalty claim when his cross was stopped by Christian but it was more ball to hands than a genuine call. Just after the half hour a well taken set piece goal put Tenerife ahead, Saul’s corner was nudged on by Alberto and Choco dived in among the flying boots to head it into the net. There were more close efforts to come before the break, Choco missed with a weak shot and Saul put a free kick wide.

It should have been a springboard for a glorious second half but what we got was more like a belly flop. The cautious side of Pep Marti took over and Tenerife went into their shell, this always flags up the visitors to take more chances, Christian floated in a hanging cross that Dani took with ease but it was a warning. Suso replaced Jairo with little impact and new signing Moutinho made his bow in place of Omar, another negative signal.

Machis fancied his chances for Huesca, a weak prod at Dani should have been more testing and he followed a few minutes later by flashing a shot wide, his bright spell also set up a header for Tyronne that wasn’t far away. Tenerife needed another goal but Pep left it until six minutes from the end to bring on Nano, and that was at the expense of Choco. The inevitable happened with a couple of minutes left, a deep right cross found Inigo Lopez and he pooped the ball past Dani for a 1-1 scoreline. Let’s hope that free agent arrival Javi Lara can provide that missing spark, it will certainly give Pep a few tough decisions to make to turn the midfield from a slumbering kitten to a roaring tiger.

With the 1980’s theme as a vague guide a 11,241 crowd converged on the Heliodoro stadium for CD Tenerife v Huesca game on the first big weekend of Santa Cruz Carnaval. As always it was a blast of colour and saucy giggles.

I’ve posted my match report separately, this is to pay homage to the hundreds who plastered on the make up, hitched up their skirts, and slipped into their dancing shoes. There were quite a few fans looking part tired, part dazed, and part sozzled but it’s all good fun.

February is not a good time to be in the relegation zone, it becomes a bit of a scrap and points are like gold dust. Cruz Santa from Los Realejos near Puerto de la Cruz arrived below Marino and with just two wins to their name and they left with a vital 1-1 draw that looked unlikely for much of the game.

Marino spurned plenty of chances to build a untouchable lead but a mix of rugged defending and bad luck kept them at bay. Josito was fast an d nippy down the left early on and Adan got plenty of close attention from Pablo in the red and white shirt. This was my first sight of Adan, back for a second spell with Marino, he’s big, stubborn, and awkward – a nightmare for defenders, and with two goals from his first two games he was constantly sniffing for more.

Eric produced the first attempt for Cruz Santa with a free kick that was well blocked by the home defence. Marino should have opened the scoring after 16 minutes, a lovely chip from captain Airam fell to Adan but an opposition defender pounced to stop him getting a clean shot. Alexis was a threat on the left for Cruz, he weaved past three Marino players before being intercepted. Airam tried his luck with a high shot but Javi reached up to tip it away from the visitors goal. A ten minute spell of sustained pressure on the Cruz Santa net should have tipped the balance, Adan struck wide and was beaten to a low ball by the goalie while Airam unleashed a strong shot that sailed by the post.

Those let offs seemed to give Cruz Santa a boost, they surged forward and Eric put the ball over Cicovic to make it 0-1. A coach load of away fans with drums and whistles celebrated and cheered the half time call after Mendy had headed a late shot at Javi between the sticks.

It would have been a massive victory for Cruz Santa, sitting below Marino, and they dug in, Javi grabbed the ball from a high duel with Airam and Tato did enough to deter Adan when he got close to scoring. Pacheco nearly made it 0-2 but found Cicovic ready to dent him as Marino stepped up the pressure at the other end. A corner from the left caused chaos in the away defence and Mendy struck the loose ball firmly to level at 1-1. There was a penalty shout from Marino in the final five minutes after a push on Adan and still time for a late charge from Cruz Santa, Cicovic was at his best to ensure the point.