Just suppose Mount Teide erupted chocolate all over Tenerife, what a yummy time we would have, and at least the UK tabloids would have to be a bit more inventive with their headlines. It was just a thought that made the lonely journey through my empty head as I admired the chocolate belen (nativity scene) in San Miguel. There were plenty of other festive treats to pack in on a pre Christmas day out on the Titsa bus.

Water, and energy bars were more likely on the menu of the lycra clad cyclists that tested themselves up the steep incline above Valle San Lorenzo as the 416 Los Cristianos bus took me high above Arona and past the Ceninela mirador against the backdrop of clear blue skies. Getting off at the entrance to San Miguel I could feel a crisp chill as I started to snap the roadside decorations that always brighten up the town. Chocolate was top of my list so I took the turn down past the eye catching blue and white Ayuntamiento (council) building just above the El Ajibe exhibition hall. Quite a star in its own right, the hall is an old water tank converted to show off arts and crafts.

What a feast awaited my eyes, a mix of traditional Christmas items such as angels, with the San Miguel influence of the church that dominates the local skyline, and even a couple of trains. Two members of staff were choo chooing and generally regressing to their youth and I felt much the same way. A lot of work had gone into making the display but if I had been holding a cup of tea I might not have been able to resist a snack attack. The exhibition is free and open from 9am to 2pm on week days, excluding holidays, until 6 January. On the way back up to the main street I took a moment to admire the cascading monument to one of the founding fathers of San Miguel in the Plaza de Agricultor. Each year San Miguel encourages local groups to decorate the streets with eye catching yuletide creations, it all added to my jolly mood.

Of course I couldn´t move on without visiting a few other key places, starting with the Casa de El Capitan, an imposing building from 1814 dedicated to the traditional pottery made in the area. The church plaza also drew me in, partly for the great views of El Medano and the coast below, but mainly for the style and grace of the church itself. Hopping on the next 416 bus I completed my journey to Granadilla, a little higher up. They were going for a more modest intrusion of Christmas but the natural beauty of the quiet streets and another equally grand church were good rewards for my short leg of the trip. It´s good walking country in this part of Tenerife, I have pounded a few paths but there´s still plenty to add to y tick list.

Even without stop offs, the 416 is a very enjoyable journey. Just an hour direct between Los Cristianos and Granadilla, the fares are very cheap using a Ten Mas pre paid card. My broken journey on the way up, and the straight return trip only totalled 4.70 euros. It was a very sweet day and a further incentive to get out and about even more in 2020.

Like a turkey noticing the sage and onion, latest CD Tenerife coach Ruben Baraja must have been squirming when his world fell apart just four minutes into his first home game. Borja Lasso was on the ball and poised to push forward but Alcorcon defender  Miakushkov came flying in from behind and took his left leg from under him, crunching his ankle in the process. The ref was no help and after consulting VAR decided it was just worth a booking as Borja limped off. That set the tone for the afternoon as two poor sides ground out a 0-0 draw.

Before kick off there was hope of improvement, Alex Bermejo returned from injury to bolster the attack and Munoz resumed his left back role after suspension. The coach was also able to welcome back fit again Luis Milla, initially on the subs bench. Jose Naranjo took over from Borja who needed treatment for his broken ankle at a specialist Seville hospital and will be side lined for the rest of the season. Nothing was expected of forward flop Naranjo and that´s exactly what he delivered, at least Bermejo was keen and his fierce hook shot forced a diving save from goalie Mirales. Alcorcon hadn´t lost away all season but their lack of initiative and ambition showed why they are snoozing in mid table. Stoichkov, their main front man was thwarted by a combination of Alberto and Carlos Ruiz but Luis Perez was struggling with a thigh injury.

Baraja moved Malbasic to help cover Perez at right back, a strange call as it weakened the home attack, holding midfielder Javi Alonso would have been a more obvious back up. The villain Miakushkov threatened on the visitors left with a free kick that Ortola dealt with easily. Naranjo should have made more of a chase for a loose ball but Mirales showed more urgency. With Perez unable to play on in the second half, USA international Shaq Moore filled the void and showed more aggression making a couple of speedy raids down the right. His cross was deflected over the bar and his next set up wasn´t pounced on by Bermejo or Dani Gomez. Alcorcon didn´t punish a weak defensive clearing header from Alberto and a rushed headed rebound cleared the woodwork. Naranjo fired a poor shot into the side netting and a goal less draw looked an inevitable result.

Maybe Luis Milla could unlock the visitors defence after replacing a tired Bermejo. Sadly he sliced a shot off target after Gomez had fed him. Neither side deserved three points, Costa squandered a shot and got no joy with a VAR hand ball call, it clearly struck the home defenders chest. The feel good factor has deserted the Heliodoro stadium along with a drop of 4,000 fans since the previous home game. Calls for the President to resign persisted as despair filled the air. The draw completed the worst ever home streak in the history of the club. Major surgery is needed in the January transfer window but attracting good players to a struggling club isn´t easy, and that´s assuming they can offload the dead wood that is dragging them down.

Great friends, great vibes, great costumes, and above all a truly great cause. Walk For Life lit up the south of Tenerife again, for the 15th year, and the 2019 vintage was as bubbly and joyful as ever. Hope is always the driving force, education, research, and early treatment are the tools but it is the people who embrace the Walk For Life and all its hard work throughout the year that have made it one of the biggest spectacles on the island.

As I caught the bus in from Los Cristianos to Siam Mall, I could see pink groups gathering for coffee, breakfast, and last minute costume adjustments before they headed to the Adeje start point. The main stage was bouncing, faces were being painted, t shirts, wings, and hats were being fine tuned. Everyone wants to get involved, the Adeje bomberos (fire fighters) and a local ambulance crew stood by bedecked in pink ribbons. Children and pets swelled the family numbers, and water, bananas, and cookies were stocked up ready for the 3.5 km route ahead.

Mayor Fraga of Adeje and Mayor Mena of Arona were joined this year at the head of the procession by the President of the Tenerife Cabildo (government) Pedro Martin. The drum band rapped out their rallying call and the pink ribbon started to thread its way out of the car park and flooded over the motorway bridge and towards the coastal promenade. There are always a few tears, many walk in memory of family and friends they have lost, but there is a defiant intent to ensure prevention and better treatments can spare other from the same suffering.

Founder, visionary, and driving force Brigitte Gypen always has a glowing smile of pleasure and pride. Backed by a dedicated team of helpers and so much goodwill, she has seen real progress in attitudes and support for the cause. The looks on the faces of unsuspecting tourists are always rewarding, they peel themselves of their beach sunbeds and appear on balconies and roof tops trying to take in the sheer scale and spread of the pink procession. Each year the route is tweaked a little for variety, this time the end point was the Golden Mile just over the border into Arona and near Los Cristianos.

Entertainment is always a key part to the celebration as walkers reach the end of their journey, a large stage made a focal point and Los Banditos were ready with some nostalgic rock and roll to kick people up an dancing. The walk has moved with the times, no more stacks of balloons to float away and damage the environment, ticka tape was cannoned into the air above the finish zone and would be much easier to tidy away afterwards. As collection money was paid in the amazing total of 36,600 euros emerged, some of it made up from fund raising that goes on in the preceding year. Walk For Life is the chosen charity of my CD Tenerife family, Armada Sur, and I was immensely proud of the 1,364 euros they contributed.

My admiration for all those who make Walk For Life such a success, grows every year. Already plans are being drawn up for next year, and the foundation works all through the year to offer support and advice to those who need it. The website gives practical advice and links in several languages.

Pocket size beach cove, Las Galgas, was secluded and sparsely used as I came around the coastal path from Callao Salvaje into Playa Paraiso. The second stage of my Tenerife west coast visit was set on a gift wrapped present of a December day and I had a lot of catching up to do. The twin stacks of the Hard Rock Hotel were new on my last visit three years ago and things were beginning to change in the overlooked and neglected area.

JCB diggers were carving out new channels from the barranco at the rear but those few dipping into the sea were greeted with gentle waves. Below the coastal walk between the two resorts, the isolated outcrops of rock looked inviting but potentially dangerous. Taking the steep walk down and back up the other side of Las Galgas I was soon on the modern pedestrian promenade, wide, clean, and a pleasant place to stroll. Warnings signs at the access points to rock pools are frequently ignored but a little further renovated steps down from the main road led to the small dark sand that backs onto the imported orange sand of the Hard Rock Hotel swimming pool complex.. It had been in a sorry state for years but its now its buzzing with music, cocktails, and a bridge linking it directly to the hotel. It is also open to non hotel paying visitors.

The horizon is now dominated by modern hotels, the huge three stage H10 Atlantic Sunset gleamed in the sun,the loop of land it sits on used to be a bit of a dumping ground and a magnet for auto caravans at fiesta and holiday times. The influence of the new posher neighbours can be felt all through Playa Paraiso, Punta Paraiso is now home to Roja Negra beach bar, and walking up into the main street outside Hard Rock Hotel, most bars and restaurants were either boasting new looks and names, or up for sale and rent.  I´m guessing that rents have increased with the makeover, it´s a shame for the old bars that kept the flag flying when Paraiso was less fashionable but there were noticeably more people sat outside enjoying food and drink. There´s even a rock supermarket, those groceries have a lot to live up to – maybe Prefab Sprout would be appropriate! The rebirth continues, the Roca Mar complex, by the Adrian Hoteles Roca Navaria, is a white elephant that never got any tenants, a team were busy coating it with new aluminium panels ready for an expected influx of new shops.

One of the biggest changes has come at the old abandoned apartment building at the lower entry to Playa Paraiso. It had been part built and left as a rusting, crumbling wreck for decades but is now a gleaming white private apartment block and soon to be home for the Expo Vida project. Originally Expo Vida was promoted as a health theme park to emerge from the wreckage of the old Sky Park in Torviscas, but judging by the lack of progress on the other site, it seems to have a new scaled down home. The building frontage is very striking with dynamic, thrusting statues, I love the humour as in the figure propping up one of the main walls.

As I was in the area, I had to check out the newly opened CC Rosa Center shopping complex part way up the main road out of the resort. This one is a bit of a clone of Parque Santiago 6 and the three layers only have 35 units, many were not yet open. Pretty standard fare, Hiperdino, Burger King, a couple of coffee shops, Springfield, and a large Stradivarius transported from the centre of Los Cristianos. The large top floor terrace will be a nice place to enjoy food, drink, and views, once the other units open, and the flowers and plants will look better once they have grown out of their perfect just planted shapes. In general it´s a bit bland, too many straight lines, and the outside gates reminded me of the old football ground turnstiles. Music was a big theme of my day, it was flowing out from Hard Rock Hotel and H10 and there was muzak hanging in the air at Rosa. when I used the toilets I had Aretha Franklin for company, a bit off putting. Don´t let this cynical old git put you off, go and check these places out for yourself, it´s good to explore.

Like the ebb and flow of the sparkling sea, Playa Ajabo at Callao Salvaje on the west coast of Tenerife, is used to change. For many years a sandy makeover of the rough pebble beach was promised and was delivered in July 2013. My first visit for three years coincided with the removal of the damaged sunbeds, but there was still a good spread of people enjoying the gorgeous December sun, and dipping in the refreshing waters.

My hour journey from Los Cristianos on the 473 Titsa bus put me in a chipper mood, the council workrs of several municipalities were busy planting festive poinsettias and adding Christmas decorations along the route. Hopping off early at the top of the main road into Callao Salvaje, gave me the chance to savour the clear views of the sea with the island of La Gomera clear in the distance. It also allowed me to check out the distinctive community  church in the Plaza da la Mujer Trabajadora (the working woman). Home to catholic and Russian orthodox services, it´s still an infant at barely 10 years old. The shelf overlooking the sea at the bottom of the road is always a great spot to savour the sea view.

After hearing tales of turbulent times at the beach, my first view showed a more basic layout than my last call. When it opened after the big makeover, the sun shades had call buzzers that summoned waiters from the café restaurant up above. Sadly it was closed a couple of years ago and a gradual decline has followed below. The arm of the quay never did take on small boats and fishing as it was intended but was proving popular as a launch point for swimmers  and a sun bathing spot. With the loss of the food and drink outlet, the sunbeds were also abandoned until recently unscrupulous chancers were trying to illegally charge sun bathers for using the abandoned rests. The beds were then chained to the shades and most were broken and unusable, but a crew of staff and a pick up truck was loading them to take away.

The sea can be wild at Playa Ajabo, the high sided rocky surrounds are held in check by metal mesh and a barranco (ravine) gulley channels rain down either side of the beach. It´s all part of the rugged charm of this area, getting the balance right is a challenge but one that has been managed pretty well. I like the way the makeover left a large protruding rock cluster on the middle of the beach, like a defiant gesture from nature. The coastal path has been improved and makes a bracing walk to link up with Playa Paraiso. The rock formations and swirls of the incoming tides sooth the mind and the modern concrete bridge over the small barranco removes the scrabble down and up to the other side. There was clearly a sense of local pride, an ashtray tree waved a flag for conservation and protection. The dwindling cap of snow on Mount Teide added another attraction to enjoying the day.

Even if the restaurant doesn´t get a re-birth in the near future, the beach will still attract plenty of people. The walkways down to the sand from each side make access easier and there were a few takers for the rock steps further round beyond the outstretched quay. It was time for me to push on and see what was happening just up the coast at Playa Paraiso, more of that soon.

They say when you drown, all your previous lives flash before your eyes. For CD Tenerife President Miguel Concepcion, the coaches during his 14 year reign paraded past his vision during a 19th minute fans protest in the 1-3 home defeat to UD Almeria. Current caretaker coach, Sesé Rivero, the 19th team selector, followed his opening 0-2 away win at Sporting Gijon with a spirited but defensively flawed loss against the big money second placed team in the Segunda Division. A few days later, Ruben Baraja became coach number 20. But there are bigger moves afoot to wrench the club out of the President´s hands.

On a day with so many personalities worthy of attention, the referee grabbed the early spotlight, ignoring a foul on Dani Gomez on the edge of the box. He then gave a free kick in a similar position against Tenerife at the other end – and booked home goalie Ortola for complaining. There was some satisfaction for the keeper when he turned aside the resulting shot. A strong headed clearance from Carlos Ruiz defused an Almeria raid on 20 minutes but the home defence were tactically poor seven minutes later. Three white shirted defenders got all bunched up on the right and were unable to stop the ball bouncing free to Lazo for an easy tuck in lead.

Just after the half hour, it was the same crime and same scene as three defenders hugged the right side and let an attacker slip through with the ball falling nicely to Lazo for his second goal. Tenerife heads didn´t drop, Gomez forced a corner off the keeper, Suso swung in a perfect ball, and Borja Lasso smashed it in off the post. Aitor Sanz made a slide rule pass deep to Suso that wasn´t finished of, and Almeria goalie Fernando showed encouraging nerves with a soft kick out. There was plenty still to play for at the break. Nahuel had been quiet on the left in the first 45 minutes and was soon replaced by 20 year old winger Elliot Gomez, following in his brief debut at Gijon. The youth player looked strong, confident, and full of running to give Almeria a few problems. Shaq Moore showed a more forcefull side of his nature and helped to keep the visitors in check in the second half.

Ortola made another classy save on the hour and Malbasic arrived for Alberto to boost the front line. However the Serbian´s first touch was his weakness again when Dani played a ball back to tee it up for him and he blasted it over the stand. Borja was busy looking for openings and had big defender Owana tied in knots. Almeria were a good side, and didn´t even use their 8 million euro signing from Notingham Forest, Arvin Appiah. Tenerife were making headway, Almeria goalie Fernando resorted to feigning injury whenever possible to buy time. Rivero will leave a small legacy behind when he drops back into the youth coaching system, Another of his gems, Jorge was a surprise sub and came on in place of Dani Gomez. There was nearly a dream glimpse of the future as Elliot slipped a neat pass to Jorge but he didn´t have the power to take it on or the back up. With five minutes of added time, Munoz made a crude sweep past Fernando and gave him a little body check, he thought he had got away with it but the ref booked him as play switched to the other end, that takes him up to a one game suspension. A last gasp break found Aguza who caught Tenerife napping to wrap up the 1-3 win. Calls for the President to go were louder and more prolonged as the 12,394 crowd filtered away from the stadium.

Take a rest Rambo, your battle is over. Make way for Marvel´s new intergalactic super heroes The Eternals, now filming, and George Clooneys post apocalyptic flick, Good Morning Midnight, due to see action in February 2020.
Stallone´s fifth instalment of the war veteran saga pitched camp in the Tenerife capital Santa Cruz earlier this year and has just hit the big screen. The Eternals have headed over to Fuerteventura and Lanzarote as Angelina Jolie and her alien friends set out to fill the void left by the demise of The Avengers. The former Tomb Raider had been spotted in filming at a London park wearing a white full length gown, topped with a cascade of long white hair. It was back to its natural look when she landed at Fuerteventura airport.

The busiest of the big screen icons will be George Clooney who is directing as well as starring in the big screen adaptation of an award winning novel by Lily Brooks – Dalton. George will be leading a rag tag band of survivors to a spaceship that will rescue them from a dying Earth. Birmingham born actress Felicity Jones will play the main female character.
This latest batch of movies follow Tenerife based blockbusters like Clash Of The Titans, and Bourne. Other worldly landscapes are the big draw for fantasy movies but the tax breaks offered by the Canarian Film Commission, and resident hi tech support companies have smoothed the way for the film industry.
The first set for The Eternals was built at Buen Paso, Puerto del Rosario in Fuerteventura. They were to have shot key scenes at Teide National Park in Tenerife but despite many concessions made for them to use the protected area, the ban on the use of drones was unmovable. Angelina endeared herself to Fuerteventura locals by coming down to earth for some supermarket shopping on the island, and even an unexploded WW2 bomb found on set did little more than delay filming. Now the lens has turned its focus on Lanzarote for the next stage of filming. Actress Salma Hayek is already under its spell and has been proclaiming her love of the island across social media.

La Palma maybe one of the smaller Canary Islands but it´s already showing why it´s known as La Isla Bonita in the new trailer for Netflix series, The Witcher, ahead of the 20th December debut. It features two weeks of Canarian shooting from March, with ex Superman Henry Cavill heading the cast at locations such as Elano de Los Bruja, and La Colmbrecita. The island peak of Roque de Los Muchachos, also grabs the spotlight in several scenes. Wonder Woman 2 has also released its first trailer, giving glimpses of the scenic delights of Fuerteventura.
It’s a tough call trying to squeeze the full splendour of the Canary Islands onto the small screen but it hasn’t stopped a trail of TV productions from heading our way. Sky Rojo is a much anticipated follow up from Alex Pina, the creator of the blockbuster Spanish crime series La Casa de Papel . Extras have been hired and stages set up at San Andres, just beyond Santa Cruz and Guimar. Netflix headed for Tenerife in mid November for filming at Santa Cruz Auditorium, and the Almaciga and Taganana beaches of Anaga for The One. Based on John Marrs best seller, it´s set in the near future when all partners are selected by DNA – but don’t expect many happy ever afters by the end of the 10 episodes. You can certainly expect many happy returns though as future dramas and adverts beat a path to our volcanic shores.

Out of despair, conflict, and uncertainty, CD Tenerife produced a remarkable display of solidarity and stubborn defiance to snatch a 0-2 win at Sporting Gijon. The sacking of coach Aritz Lopez Garai had exposed old wounds at the club and sown new doubts about the remainder of the season. Forget flowing football, the torrential rain scuppered that, caretaker coach Sesé Rivero made bold decisions that paid off, and the team huddle at the full whistle showed was brimming with pride in a job well done.
There were no drastic changes in the starting line up, Javi Alonso continued his progress from the B team with a starting midfield slot for the suspended Alberto, and he had a fine full game. Early play was always going to be tense, Ortola calmed nerves with a couple of solid stops in goal, and Javi cleaned up after the Tenerife defence got in a mix and nearly let the home side in. There was a scare when an aerial duel saw the ball canon at the away goal from the head of Munoz, Ortola was coolness itself as he snuffed out the ricochet.

Medina was the play maker for Gijon and Aitor the buzzing forward waiting to snap up any openings. Luis Perez was at his sharpest to poke away a shot after Aitor has burst past three defenders. The Tenerife team were struggling at times to adjust from the old coaches tactics to the new boss´s input, but they worked at it. Aitor threatened again after cutting the ball back from the byline but Ortola was on the case. Borja Lasso was playing a more advanced role with Malbasic offering very little in a deep position, Nahuel and Shaq Moore gradually found an understanding as they interchanged on the left.
Medina beat Carlos Ruiz to post a header at the visitors goal, Ortola had it covered. The Tenerife keeper did even better just before the break to stand tall to a Djuka break and a fierce shot that winded him but didn´t beat him. A storm had been weathered and it was a sunnier Tenerife that emerged for the second half, especially with Dani Gomez taking over from the invisible Malbasic. Passes were getting crisper, and pressure was growing on the Gijon goal. When Valiente fouled Nahuel on the edge of the home box after 54 minutes, VAR was awoken and awarded a Tenerife penalty. Captain Suso took a few deep breaths to calm the nerves and placed the ball in the roof of the net to take the lead. It could have been short lived, Djuka beat a clutch of Tenerife defenders before unloading his shot, Ortola dived and turned it aside with ease.

The pitch was breaking up in the downpour but Dani Gomez was the lawn master as he side stepped his marker and picked his shot to perfection to double the lead. If anyone though that Rivero would play safe, that was soon dispelled when he took off Nahuel and brought on defender Dos Santos, discarded for so long he was covered in cobwebs. Gomez is a real prospect, the 20 year old loanee from Real Madrid held up the ball well and passed to Borja who shot wide. Rivero has poured years into the youth coaching set up at Tenerife and drew on his knowledge to give a sub debut to Elliot Gomez as Suso departed. The 20 year old player made an immediate impact with an impressive cross into the path of Dani Gomez who was clattered by a home defender. Ortola capped a great evenings work with a late save from a strong header, and Elliot powered down the right to force a corner just before the teams played out the added time. What a tonic this was for Tenerife´s ills, but there are still many things to be resolved.

Aritz Garai Lopez was shocked to be sacked after his patched up CD Tenerife side ground out a 1-1 home draw with Cadiz, the nine points clear top team. Alvaro Cervera, the visiting coach probably wasn´t, he was sacked four years ago after rescuing Tenerife from the doldrums of Segunda B. That´s 18 coaches in 14 years.

Injuries decimated the Tenerife line up. Luis Milla, Luis Perez, and Alex Bermejo, the best players at the club, led the injury parade. Shaq Moore, a left sided defender struggled at right back but even so, veteran captain Suso gave Tenerife a shock 11th minute lead from a Mierez set up. Just before that, home goalie Ortola had saved from Sanchez. Carlos Ruiz, another veteran was at the heart of the home defence, he had been pressed into service due to the poor displays of Sipcic. The Serbian was warming the bench along with Dos Santos, an equally poor defender brought in a year before by the Sporting Director. I´m not trying to make you weep for the departed coach, just enlighten you to why the Tenerife coaching job chews them up and spits them out.

Back at the game, hope was springing eternal, even the return of Honduras striker Choco Lozano, this time in a yellow shirt, wasn´t offering as much threat as was expected. Cadiz did rattle the home crossbar but the midfield pairing of Undabarrena and Alberto slowed their progress and Munoz was playing well alongside Ruiz. Borja was the spark going forward and had two decent strikes at goal. Mierez was picked ahead of Malbasic, he did well holding up the ball but he doesn´t shoot enough and the lack of goals has been one of the main causes of Tenerife´s slump. Just after the half hour Moore was exposed at the post and the ball came loose for Mauro to pop in for the equaliser.
Tenerife didn´t drop their heads, they came out for the second half eager to get at Cadiz. Nahuel looked tired with his socks at half mast but still made his powerful charges like a rhino answering the dinner gong.

Suso was fired up, he roasted his marker and took the ball to the line before hooking it back to Mierez, but he reacted slowly and a defender cleared the danger. Nano, another former Tenerife player came on as sub but didn´t offer much. Negative substitutions is one charge levelled at Lopez, the coach showed ambition this week by adding Dani Gomez for Borja. Alberto picked up a booking, totting him up to a suspension next game, a nice welcome for the new boss. Javi Alonso took over from Undabarrena, and Malbasic entered the attack in place of Suso. Mierez squandered two late chances with a header and a wide strike. In the end a valiant point looked like some sort of platform for the coach to build from. There were no calls for the coach to go from the 9,860 crowd but he had been warned that a defeat would see the end of him, it turned out a few hours later that even a draw couldn´t save him. Terrace calls for the club President to go have been a feature all season, a new takeover bid for the club is gathering momentum and may have played a part in the sacking but patience has never been a virtue at CD Tenerife.

There’s just no stopping dynamic forwards, Zeben Buades and Nami. A goal each steered CD Marino through a niggling game at home to CD Vera for a 2-0 win to open a four point lead in their Tercera Division group.
For much of the first half Marino were frustrated by the disjointed pattern of the game, thanks to a weak ref and some exaggerated reactions to tackles by both sets of players. The yellows from the north of Tenerife favoured a big punt of the ball but their accuracy left their front men chasing lost causes. Nami´s early long ball was more tempting for Marino as it fell just in front of inrushing Zeben, but he sliced it over the Vera bar.

Zeben and Makana tussled for a loose ball that brought a free kick for the yellows, an easy take for David in goal. Meshack was ready to use his size to pressure the home defence but another wide ball only brought a corner. Mechi took it short and set Barcos up for a shot that missed the post. Charni was strong in the centre of defence for Marino, when Meshack shaped up for a shot, the defender played the ball out calmly to diffuse the danger.

Marino worked hard to take control of the action, Stephane offered good options on the left wing and towards the end of the half he swapped to the right to keep the visiting defence off guard. Nami snapped a low shot in which found Alibey alert between the posts. The half ended with a confident penalty shout from Vera for pulling when Meshack went down in the box. The ref just waved their demands away. Simon tested David with a neat shot as the second half started but it soon switched to the other end where Alberto slipped the ball through. Nami turned on the spot and swung a boot at the ball but it lacked power and Alibey had it covered.

An hour gone and Marino made the breakthrough. Alberto made good progress down the right and put in a tempting low cross, Zeben cruised in and tapped the ball past the keeper to make it 1-0. The goal maker departed soon after as last seasons top scorer Ahmed returned from a spell in Belgium. The striker looked a bit rusty but it´s a frightening thought for the rest of the league to know Marino are going to increase their goal threat. There was still a lot of work to do to ensure the win. Meshack broke clear and only had David to beat but the goalie came out and narrowed the angle before blocking his attempt.

Home coach Kiko de Diego, encourages his players to be versatile and support each other. Antonio Samuel demonstrated that well as the left back overlapped and made a great pass into the path of Nami who buried the ball in the back of the net for the second goal with just under 20 minutes to play. Nami went close to adding a third goal, his shot was only half saved but scrambled away. Vera were still hoping for a way back, when Diego lost the ball in defence they were ready to pounce before Charni made a saving tackle. This wasn´t Marino on top form but their work rate and self belief served them well.