Dragging Racing Santander into the relegation dog fight, CD Tenerife were good value for their 2-1 win, only defiant goalkeeper Coltorti prevented a bigger winning margin. This weeks press spoke of a 20,000 euro squad bonus per every league point, if Tenerife stay in La Liga, but when it comes down to it, the character of the players will make the difference. Against a useful Racing side, Tenerife looked hungry and pushed all the way to the final whistle.

Roman had an early chance for Tenerife but Coltorti made the first of many strong saves to deny him. Sergio Canales (below in centre) is the rising star of Spanish football, at 19 he is poised for a big money summer move to Real Madrid and showed his potential forcing a save out of Sergio in the home gaol and putting 2 other efforts narrowly wide. Tenerife worked their way into the game, Nino missed a close range shot and Juanlu was unlucky to see his thundering 25 yard free kick hit the post.

Racing put some good attacks together with Canales and Tchite combining weel, but the CDT defence looked calm, captain Bertran mopped up several of their efforts. Canales sent his free kick over the bar and Ayoze headed over the visitors goal from a Bertran cross. All square at half time would have been ok but Tenerife had other ideas, Ricardo launched a telling cross and in form Roman was on hand to head home a lead just before the sun kissed 18,945 crowd took a shade break.

Juanlu opened the second half with a charge on Racing’s keeper but he was strong and blocked him. The Swiss stopper made his only bad mistake of the afternoon after 56 minutes, bringing down Alfaro for a penalty. Ayoze (below) took his time and delivered the perfect spot kick into the net to send the crowd wild. It was no more than Tenerife deserved, they looked by far the better team. This relegation tussle looks determined to keep us on our toes all the way, Arana put in a low cross and Xisco tapped it in from close range to add some doubt to the result in the last 20 mins.

For the remainder of the game there was a real duel between Coltorti and Nino, the diminutive Tenerife striker was denied 3 times by the sheer prescence of the Racing keeper. Nino’s determined clashes with the keeper were typical of the home spirit. The referee didn’t have the best of games, missing many of the more obvious calls, and when he added on 5 minutes of injury time it sent a shudder through us all. Tenerife did the sensible things well and played out the game, Nino even had a chance to increase the scoreline at the death but found his nemesis there to deny him.

The final whistle saw the ground erupt, Zaragoza’s 1-0 win at Deportivo was a let down but home draws for Malaga and Valladolid mean Tenerife are now third from bottom with just goal difference putting Malaga above them in a safety spot. Tuesdays game in Barcelona is unlikely to bring any points, but all eyes will be on our relegation rivals. La Liga just get worse, they still can’t tell us when the last home game is next weekend, whenever it is another win should set it up for the final game away to Valencia. Vamos Tenerife.