Heavy on build up but light on shooting, CD Marino fell behind to UD Las Palmas C. A more direct second half approach and positive substitutes brought their rewards with a last gasp injury time 2-1 home win to regain top spot in their Tercera Group.
Zeben Buades found visiting goalie Ale´s safe hands with an early strike. Diego made room for an acute angle shot that cleared the bar, but they were limited after that by a solid back four. Too many times Marino moves broke down as they passed the ball around rather than take a pop at the goal. The yellows from Gran Canaria began to get more adventurous, Luis unleashed a swerving shot from a deep position which wasn´t far off target. A few minutes later their enterprise paid off, as Ian caught the home defence cold with a powerful strike to take the lead.
Luis speculated again, putting the ball wide, and Pipo forced a good save from David in the home goal. Charni pushed up more from midfield to spice up the blues play, and Niki opened Las Palmas up with his runs down the right. Marino were causing Las Palmas more problems now, A Diego cross from the right fell perfectly for Santi but his header flew over the bar. There was still danger from the visitors, Diego was though before Saavedra tidied up with a back header to David.
Marino looked sharper after the break, Ahmed tried to lock onto a cross pass but it was too high to meet with a header. A double change on the hour saw Marino add Bamba and Javi Gonzalez for Santi and Zeben. The changes gave Marino more punch and they forced a series of corners. The leveller came when a speedy run and cross was powered into the goal from the head of Nami. With Ahmed, Nami, and Javi Gonzalez taking turns to be the target man, the Las Palmas defence struggled to shackle them. Javi warmed the keepers gloves with a crisp shot, and Ahmed teed up the ball before firing wide.
Recent signing Oli made a run from his central defensive position to meet a corner with his head but didn´t manage to hit the target. The final home change brought Michael from the bench to patrol the left wing as Ahmed departed. Pipo managed a forced slice at the Marino goal but David wasn´t troubled. The subs were giving Marino plenty of fresh ideas but the yellows Sebas wasn´t long arrived on the pitch when his full on tackle on Michael left him worse off and he needed carrying off the pitch for treatment.
One last big push was needed by Marino and that was what they gave. With the Las Palmas goal mouth crowded a corner from Samuel sailed over and Michael got a head to it, a deflection off the yellows Josemi made sure the goalie couldn´t stop it and the Marino players piled on each other to celebrate their win. Now a point clear at the head of the table, the second half of the season should give Marino a good shot at the promotion play offs.