In 700 Tercera Division games CD Marino will have seen fewer stranger than their 2-1 home win over Union Sur Yaiza. Before kick off the club honoured squad members from the 1980-81 season that started that long residency, they must have been as bemused as the other fans by  a flag happy young linesman, and a whistle happy ref who sent off three visiting players.

Antonio Samuel unleashed a crisp early shot for Marino that warmed the Lanzarote goalie’s hands. Right back Connor continually got in behind the Yaiza defence, and on the other side of the pitch Javi Saavedra overlapped and saw his shot ricochet off the post. David was nearly caught cold when Victor produced the first attempt for the green shirted visitors, but it was back to one way traffic as Fayez fed Juanmi for another home effort. Ruyman was bracing himself for a busy afternoon in the Yaiza goal, Connor breached the rear guard again, this time setting up Gaizka, his neat flick was snuffed out by the goalie.

Ammed and Guti both went close, it was inevitable that a home goal would come, after 25 minutes Samuel made another telling run down the left, cut inside, and finished clinically to make it 1-0. Yaiza were stung and tried to respond, Kamara got into a strong position but headed over the Marino bar. Ammed and Samuel both had further chances before the half closed with a Rami header that David took one handed in the home goal. After Tito had his own effort easily dealt with by David to open the second half, Gaizka made way for Javi Gonzalez for the blues. The sub wasted little time in winning a free kick from a menacing run, Ammed fired it over the bar.

Prince Dadia came on for Fayez as Marino looked for the second goal to underline their superiority. It was Yaiza though who found the back of the net with a soft goal from Rami that evaded David. That gave Yaiza some encouragement, they stepped up the intensity of their play and the tackles became fiercer. That still didn´t prepare the fans for a mad five minutes, first a clash of players saw some pushing and shoving, the ref, prompted by his assistant, showed a direct red to Raul and a second yellow to Miguel. Once order was restored, Sesma was Marino´s last sub, in place of Connor, a positive, attacking move.

Javi Gonzalez beat the Yaiza defence and was in the penalty area when Victor hooked him over. The ref pointed to the spot and another direct red for the foul meant Victor joined his mates for an early shower. Sesma stepped up and side footed the penalty straight, the keeper, Ruyman, stood his ground and made a spectacular save. Marino had 10 minutes left to seal the victory and threw their overwhelming numbers at the depleted opposition. Juanmi blasted too high, Prince was on target but brought the best out of Ruyman.

It wasn´t fair to expect more drama but it came anyway in the second minute of injury time. Prince looked hungry and showed great pace to exploit an opening in the Yaiza defence, from outside the box he let loose a perfectly timed shot to leave the goalie stranded. Prince was mobbed by his team mates, there were a few more seconds to be added on though. As play restarted, the Marino bench urged the final whistle to go, and after agonising seconds it did.. It was quite a game to witness, Marino will just be thankful for the three points that boost them up to 11^th place.

No prizes for guessing who felt the most uncomfortable at the end of this reunion of former CD Tenerife coaches. Jose Luis Oltra was basking in the satisfaction of a 1-0 victory, back on the home bench ten years after his first spell as boss, Alvaro Cervera was nursing his wounds on the wrong end of that scoreline to continue the recent decline of his visiting Cadiz side.

It was no time for gloating though, Tenerife did just enough to get their first win of the season, and Nano got his first goal since returning in the summer. It wasn´t a thriller to watch, Oltra stuck to his five man defence with a few tweaks. Alberto became the stay at home centre back with Carlos Ruiz roaming in front, that worked better but at times players seemed unsure of their roles. Alberto put his previous weeks poor display behind him, a strong block on striker Mario Barko marked his card. Nano is gradually finding his fitness and some form, a quick break showed his alertness but fizzled out with no support on hand.

A patient build up just before the half hour took Tenerife close, Suso was back in the starting line up and running at the visitors defence, this time they ganged up to close him down. You can´t keep Suso chained for long, a couple of minutes later he was off down the right again, passed to Naranjo who helped the ball on to Nano who finished with a neat side foot for a 1-0 lead. Cadiz needed something from the game to stop their poor run, Matos thought he was through, Carlos Ruiz had other ideas and cleared with his head. Dani Hernandez was on top form, he easily repelled two decent shots on him. Jorge is learning to enjoy his little excursions to the sharp end, he produced another goal bound header only to see the keeper make a good save just before the break.

A home lead with a 10,075 crowd behind them should have made the Tenerife confidence flow, instead some of the old uncertainties reared their head in the second half. Naranjo was very poor again, Camille should have had a shot when holding the ball, instead he passed to Naranjo whose control let him down. Suso and Nano both forced corners that brought no reward. At the other end, defensive slowness gave Edu Ramos a chance, his poor strike was worthy of Naranjo. Nano was trying hard, he skipped past a defender and won another corner, again it was wasted, set pieces need a lot of work in the next training sessions. Tenerife were living dangerously, they should have pushed more for the second goal, Montañes came on for Naranjo but didn´t make much of an impression.

Undaberrana was a defensive replacement for Nano with 13 minutes to go, a signal to Cadiz that Tenerife were just looking to cling on. At least Nano got plenty of cheers as he left the pitch, the local boy will appreciate the fans are letting him back into their hearts. Suso tried his luck with a back header before making way for Malbasic. In injury time Luis Milla made light work of defender Alex Fernandez but Bryan Acosta couldn´t finish off the move. The win was a great relief and moved Tenerife up to 15^th, but now the hard work really starts.

Bikers filled the roadside cafe, chestnuts prepared to burst forth from their spikey jackets, and pine trees marched up into the hills above Vilaflor. It was the perfect start point for a Sunday afternoon circular walk from the top end of Spain´s highest village. Tenerife´s Titsa bus service only runs a direct service from Los Cristianos on weekends so I was keen to take advantage of a rare Sunday without football to cover.

My friend Cecilia, a keen runner, joined me as we took the steep road up to Las Castañas, the village below looked serene and quiet. The tarmac road past the Hotel Villalba and the football ground soon changed to a rough, upwardly mobile track, and the first choice soon arrived. Faced with a lack of clear signs and a hazy memory of my last journey this way, we went upward and I soon recognised a large white modern water pumping station. Being so close to Teide national park, the Vilaflor area has more plentiful water than lower regions so it has always been pumped to the less fortunate areas.

Fire has been a constant menace during the height of summer, there were many signs of a couple of wild fires earlier in the year. Nature is a quick healer, new growths were emerging from blackened bark and even some of the damaged trees had a strange beauty to them. A downward path of orange tinged earth showed how well some of the route has been managed, it led onto a stunning viewpoint overlooking a valley of pine trees. Some nifty footwork was needed for a steep twisting drop leading down to a reservoir, complete with a strange miss match of pipes and valves, and gurgling that sounded like a giant washing machine.

This was where it all got a little interesting. The path up and out at the bottom of Vilaflor was clearly marked but a nearby sign pointed the other way to Ifonche, and as we had plenty of time, it seemed like a good add on. It was a fairly wide natural road, well worn by motor vehicles, it undulated up, down, and out in a long loop seemingly in the general direction we needed. A series of ancient water channels, pumping stations, and an old weir, were bone dry, it was difficult to imagine what it would look like when a storm raged. High banks along the way showed massive bolders that had half rolled down and were precariously perched on inclines.

After a couple of hours the path tightened and started to wind upwards as thin wisps of cloud drifted across. It was time to turn tail and retrace our steps to the reservoir where a clear and known exit awaited. Our water and food supplies stood us in good stead and heading into familiar territory hastened our pace. Once back at our ill fated wrong turn, a little browsing showed a smaller path tucked behind a tree, that was the true Ifonche route even though the sign pointed to the other path.

There was still some steep terrain ahead and the lure of a fresh, cold drink. Arriving on the main road just below the Hermano Pedro junction, our 6 hour jaunt had become a near 20 km epic, and the 6 pm last bus to Los Cristianos had gone. Some forward planning had identified Arona as the nearest bus point for the south, a “cheap lift” that far, linked us to the Titsa and on to home soil. It wasn’t quite as planned but still very enjoyable and a vindication of allowing plenty of time, food, drink, and a positive attitude. Ifonche part two is pencilled in so I can square the circle soon.

Like a salty sea dog, my tail was wagging wildly, not only was I getting the Plenilunio promotions day, and the CD Tenerife v Cadiz game, the tell tale sign of tall masts told me there were also some interesting ships in Santa Cruz for me to check out.

Down at the old dockside, two majestic ships were moored toe to tail with the Holland flag fluttering proudly on each. The first, Morgenster was a particularly lucky find for me as I had not been able to fit in a press invite to see the ship a few days previously. There was just a few crew attending to maintenance needs and I was offered a brief tour, clambering up the gang plank, I was struck by the neat, sparkling condition of the deck, well it had been in port for two weeks of scrubbing. This was a ship with a mission called Clean To Antarctica which involved the active promotion of recycling plastic. From its Den Helder base, the ship was travelling on to Senegal, Cape Verde, and the Caribbean before the epic trip to the South Pole. In that frozen wasteland they would be trying out a special vehicle, Solar Voyager, made from recycled plastic. The regular 8 strong crew were being joined by 25 volunteers being sponsored by a Chinese company. It’s a very modern project for a ship built in 1919 as a fishing vessel and later rebuilt from just the original hull into the clipper design it now has, including a 30 metre high main mast.

The Europa, just behind it had a slightly different mission, sail training for a mainly young volunteer crew from Canada, Sweden, and the USA. There was not much between the ships age wise, Europa was built in 1911 but after dropping out of service had to wait until 1994 for a refit from the hull upwards. The main mast was a tad higher at 35 metres and the cheeky design on the bow of the ship was sure to create interest at each port they called at. The 56 metre long ship, based in Den Haag, was more about team building and character building for the paying crew who would be pitching in on all the on board tasks, including scaling the masts to set the sails.

Contrast is always a big feature of Santa Cruz port, over in the modern harbour, the cruise liner Celebrity Silhouette dominated the skyline. The 315 metre long palace, launched in 2011, has 2,886 passengers, you wouldn’t catch them climbing more than a couple of stairs, certainly not inching out along the yardarm. The latest cruise had brought them from Southampton, via Portugal, and the Azores. Up on street level overlooking the port, the port authority had a display of info on old ships and nautical equipment, including some heavy diving gear that looked like it had come out of a Jules Verne novel. I wonder what awaits my next call.

Every street and plaza is a stage in Santa Cruz. The Tenerife capital needs little excuse to party, well it´s all good training for the annual Canaval, and it´s always nice to give the traders of the city a boost. With 100 acts spread over 20 points, my Ten Mas bus ticket and the 110 Titsa bus whizzed me from Los Cristianos to Santa Cruz for an early Saturday morning start.

First stop was the Castillo San Juan on the sea front, near the spot where Nelson lost his arm when trying to lead a British invasion in 1797. History was very much on the menu for a series of theatrical story telling sessions in the castle courtyard as a narrator weaved tales of nautical action in days past. The hook nose of the modern Auditorio peaked in over the walls and the soaring solo singing of one of the players fitted in well with the opera season taking place inside the iconic modern hall.

Moving along the port road and into the heart of the city, it was clear that many people had poured into Santa Cruz for the day, I didn´t see the Star Wars storm troopers marching through the streets but did bump into Princess Leia and friends. Parque Garcia Sanabria is always a favourite call for me at any time but it was bustling with food trucks filling one avenue, and a couple of stages for a range of musical styles. An old fashioned photographer, Michi Rodriguez, using the traditional plates and cloak method was producing some splendid black and white images. The snappers whiskers and bow tie added to the time warp feel, and there was even a birdie to watch, dangling from the lens.

Plaza del Principe was gearing up for a night of DJs on the main stage, but down at street level the excellent Bloko drum band were pounding out an infectious musical blast. I had previously seen the mix of drummers from the Canaries, Cape Verde, and Kenya, at the annual youth football tournament in Playa de Las Americas, it was great to hear them again. Plaza Candelaria had a corridor of pink marquees packed with craft products, and the stage was being entertained by some bizarre puppet creatures. A little further round by the lake, a magician had the children spellbound with some classic tricks, yes they even made a rabbit appear from a hat.

There was only one way to round off such a pleasant day, the evening kick off between CD Tenerife and Cadiz, it was almost as if I had planned it! The magician must have spread his magic dust towards the Heliodoro Stadium, Tenerife got their first win of the season. Sport wasn´t left out at the Plenilunio, a series of small basketball courts on the port approach encouraged young fans to test their skills. A childrens run was taking place, with an adults version to follow later, and the stages would be featuring pop and rock bands.

Four goals separated hosts CD Marino and visitors Las Zocas but both clubs and many other Tenerife football fans were united as they said a sad farewell to Pedro Perez, who graced both teams. Both sides needed a win to lift them out of their Tercera Division basement but it was Marino who hit form in the second half with some clinical finishing.

The first chance was created by Pablo of Las Zocas, it took a neat back header from Guti to keeper David to ensure Marino weren’t caught cold. Aday was strong and determined for Las Zocas, David had to be alert to halt his charge but he wasn’t put off and tried a cheeky long shot that just missed the post. Marino weathered that storm and put some pressure on the visitors, forcing three corners in quick succession, young B team prospect Samuel figured strongly in each attack. Gaizka was denied after the half hour water break when Tato made a late intervention.

It was shaping up for an even contest, Aday unleashed a shot bound for inside the top corner of the net but David denied him with an athletic full length save. Samuel closed the half with a teasing high cross that Philip plucked out of the air. Marino continued to be on top as the second half started, Connor put in a good ball for Samuel who was only able to head over the target. Something had to give, Samuel squeezed the ball in from the left, Juanmi judged his dive perfectly and scored with a glancing header past the keeper. Two minutes later the lead was doubled, Connor rounded Cherre and Gaizka tapped the ball into the goal, despite the goalie trying to claw it back.

It was a tough double blow and took its toll on Las Zocas, especially with Marino bringing on the fresh legs of Prince and Javi Gonzalez, who were joined a few minutes later by Yassine. Using the wings well, Marino were able to build attacks down both sides of the pitch with plenty of support from midfield. It was striker Yassine who added the third goal with a nicely struck shot from the edge of the keepers box.

The afternoon showed Marino with an appetite in front of goal, a minute later they made it 4-0 as Javi showed that he could match his team mates. Las Zocas tried to rally late on, Carlos Salas couldn´t catch David out with a long range attempt, but the visitors stopper, Philip denied a fifth goal with a good save when Yassine latched onto a Fayez pass.

With a 0-1 lead at Cordoba from a first Naranjo goal, a penalty save, and a steady recovery after Luis Perez was sent off, CD Tenerife thought things were looking up. Then in injury time the roof fell in as a 25 metre pile driver made it 1-1 to leave the visitors still looking for their first win. Coach Jose Luis Oltra, back in charge 10 years after weaving his promotion magic, must have thought his bold tactical revamp had reaped its reward but now he knows he can´t rely on any help from Lady Luck.

Oltra rung the changes and started with a very fluid defence, Aveldano replaced Carlos Ruiz, and defender Luis Perez played further up with Jorge covering across as a part time right back, a role he performed with some style. Alberto didn´t cope as well with his deep midfield role and extra responsibility to fill in the centre of the defence. The forwards got some early encouragement with Naranjo forcing a corner, and Nano setting up Acosta before the goalie gathered the ball. Jaime Romero was the danger man for Cordoba, but wasted a free shot after 10 minutes. Tenerife produced their first half chance when Nano slipped a pass to Bryan Acosta before the goalie raced out to claim it. There was an air of desperation about Cordoba, sharing the relegation zone with Tenerife, and there was no romantic intent when Quintavilla gripped Naranjo´s hand, it was just to pull him back when he looked like setting off on a goal bound dash.

Quezada tried to grab Perez and having failed, dropped to the floor clutching his face, it earned him a free kick and a booking for the Tenerife player. The kick was heading for the visitors goal but Dani Hernandez was decisive and punched the ball clear. It was a sultry night more suited to Tenerife, a water break on the half hour quenched a few thirsts, Jaime was still hungry for a goal and tested Dani with a dipping cross that the keeper handled well. It signalled a mini siege from Cordoba, Alberto half cleared with his head, and Dani turned aside another Jaime effort. Tenerife had the last word for the first half, Naranjo was flattened by Bambock and hit a long shot free kick that took a deflection before hitting the back of the net for a half time lead. After the break,the home goalie was fortunate to get a second grab at the ball from an Acosta shot as Nano ran in for a possible follow up. The keeper did better when running across his goal mouth to thwart Acosta with a fine one handed save.

Tenerife suffered a big blow after 60 minutes when a loose Perez tackle got him a second booking and a sending off, Raul Camara came on for Nano to shore up the defence and Cordoba sensed hope for them. Aveldaño blocked Jaime well at the post, and Dani made a great feet and body save from sub Jovanovic. Hector replaced Camille, it would have been nice to see some width introduced through maybe Suso but it was understandable that Oltra wanted to hold on to the win. Alfaro had joined the Cordoba attack from the bench, a former big star in Oltra´s golden season with Tenerife, his soft shot showed that the years had caught up with him. Acosta spurned an easy chance to make it 0-2, Naranjo made the run and fed him the ball but his hesitation allowed a defender to get an intercepting foot in.

Just six minutes remained when Jorge pushed a Cordoba player over in the box and Jaime stepped up to take the penalty. Dani judged it magnificently and saved with his feet. Still in front and still believing, Tenerife were in injury time when a screaming free kick from Aquado pole axed them, Dani had no chance of stopping it. Alfaro could have made things worse when he broke free but Dani was quick to scoop up the ball. Even the final seconds of the game betrayed Tenerife, a Cordoba defender body charged Alberto to the floor in the box but the ref was unmoved and blew the final whistle.

Delayed by their inter island flight, Las Palmas C should have been there for the taking by hosts CD Marino, but neither side really took off in the forward areas and a 0-0 draw was always on the cards. The Gran Canaria side showed no ill effects of their rushed warm up and produced the best of the early exchanges. Home goalie David had to smother an early shot from Pipo, the liveliest of the Las Palmas strikers. Yeremi set up Adrian in front of the home goal mouth but Favarel blocked him well. A free kick from Stefane sailed high over the Marino goal as the blues struggled to make an impact with long hopeful balls.

Marino came more into the game when they used Javi Gonzalez on the left and Fayez on the right flank, the Las Palmas defenders found them hard to deal with. The final touch was lacking though, Yassine and Gaizka weren’t having the best of games and Ramirez in goal had few threats to deal with. On the half hour, Fayez put a perfect ball to the feet of Yassine but his shot was poor. Javi Gonzalez was causing plenty of problems for Las Palmas, and tried his luck with a curling shot that flew wide. This was Marino’s best spell of the game, Israel under 19 player Fayez came close with a strong header, and followed up soon after with a strike that deflected away off Anthony. Marino should have turned their advantage into goals, Connor rounded Pipo to feed Ammed whose shot missed the target. Las Palmas were relieved to go in at the break on even terms.

Changes were needed, Marino restarted with Sesma arriving from the bench to patrol the right side, giving Ammed the chance to play a more central role. Javi nearly made the breakthrough with a speedy break that ended in a Sesma header wide. A low shot from Guti could have caught the Las Palmas goalie out but he was alert and claimed the ball. Marino will wonder how they let the visitors off the hook, Sesma turned his marker but shot the wrong side of the woodwork, and Stefane made a timely tackle on Yassine when he headed for goal. At the other end, Favarel hooked the ball clear of danger when the yellows put together a break down the middle, and Omar spurned a chance by heading wide.

The easiest chance for Marino came with a free kick inside the penalty area, there was much discussion among the Marino players grouped around the ball but the kick was straight at the defensive wall. Going into the last five minutes, Ammed and Juan clashed when jumping for a 50-50 high ball. The ref over reacted by giving Ammed a second booking and a sending off to leave Marino with ten men. Las Palmas couldn´t believe their luck and launched a late offensive, David made an outstanding double save, and Fuentes skewed his shot away from the goal. The last shot of the game fell to Sesma and was easily dealt with by the goalie. Neither side could complain about the draw as they had made enough openings to have taken the three points.

Nano and Naranjo sound like a firm of accountants but the strikers have failed to bring any net gains to CD Tenerife this season. The lowest point so far came with a 0-1 home defeat to lowly Reus, bringing the new league season form to 3 draws and 2 losses, plus a 1-2 home defeat to Cadiz in the Copa del Rey. As other results put Tenerife in the drop zone, the club acted quickly to sack coach Joseba Etxeberria and appoint Jose Luis Oltra who took Tenerife into La Liga in the 2008-2009 season.

Inevitably fingers were pointed at coach Joseba Exteberria but he did all the right things this game, starting with Undaberrena in midfield and Hector Hernandez at left back after their impressive debut showings in the midweek cup defeat. The starting line up also included the clubs best players, Luis Milla and Bryan Acosta in midfield. Tenerife looked bright in the first half, a Suso cross was helped on by Naranjo but Malbasic was slow to react and the chance had gone.

Veteran Suso has been putting the younger players to shame and continued with a couple of early raids, including a defence splitting diagonal ball to Naranjo that the goal shy striker lost to a defender. An old nemesis came back to tease Tenerife, Edgar Badia in the Reus goal had proved himself before to be a mix of inspiration and irritation, he inspired his team mates with some great saves and irritated Tenerife with his constant gamesmanship and delaying tactics. After Malbasic had headed a chance at the keeper, Acosta hit a fierce shot that Edgar tipped over. At the other end Dani Hernandez had only one first half chore, taking a routine shot from Reus player Borja Herrera.

One of the best home moves came on the half hour, Undaberrena fed Acosta who brought another splendid save from Edgar. Luis Milla got a slice of the action with a goal bound strike that was headed clear, it all looked very hopeful at the half time break. Time was Tenerife´s enemy, a win was vital and Reus were happy to sit back and frustrate as the second half got underway. Another Acosta effort was easily dealt with by Edgar and a rare Reus attack ended with a header off a post. Naranjo was useless, no supportive runs, no holding up the ball, and no clear attempts on goal, no wonder he was off after 55 minutes, could his replacement Nano find his first goal? The La Laguna born strikers first touch of the ball was easily blocked by Edgar.

Milla went close with a low drilled shot, an Acosta corner missed defenders and attackers alike and the frustration of the 9,532 crowd was growing. Next swap was Montañes for Undaberrena, that should have given Tenerife more width down the left but it didn´t really work. It was all happening on the other flank, where Suso was busting a gut to prise open the Reus defence, Villanueva fouled him in the box but the ref wasn´t interested in giving a penalty. Tenerife had to push forward and Reus fancied their chances on the break, Ortiz pounced on a loose ball and headed towards the Tenerife goal, a pass to Alfredo left him facing Luis Perez and Dani Hernandez at the post. With the help of a rebound, Alfredo forced the ball in the goal as Dani hesitated.

Just 10 minutes remained to salvage the game, forward Borja Llarena came on for defender Jorge for the final push but Reus dug in. Edgar used every trick in his power to waste time and Tenerife didn´t have the cutting edge to break through. Four minutes of injury time didn´t help, Nano´s only real contribution of the afternoon was a last minute low shot straight at goalie Edgar. There were some whistles from the crowd at the end, a sign that the tide was turning against the coach and some players. No new players can be brought in until the January transfer window, that left the coach as the easy option for change but Nano and Naranjo were both long term targets for sporting director Serrano, maybe he should take some of the flack. That first win of the season is like a long overdue train, away to another of the new boss´s old teams, Cordoba on Saturday 22^nd September,it wouldn´t be a moment too soon.

For all the modern development and tourism growth, Los Cristianos still has a strong beating heart built on the old fishing traditions that made the port an important hub of commerce years before a flip flop or bucket and spade plonked down on the beach.

Once a year local pride erupts into a big spectacular homage to the Virgen del Carmen, the patron of the fishing community. With a great sense of timing, Arona council unveiled a new statue by Inma Serrano outside the cultural centre just a few days before the celebrations. One of my favourite events of the days of music and dance is the Fiesta del Sombrero on the Saturday afternoon in the small Plaza del Amalia Alyon. The hat fiesta is always bold, loud, and inventive of amazing creations are popped on peoples heads as they enjoy the big family buffets and the infectious dance music from the DJs. All ages come together to show off their sea and fishing themed creations, the detail is impressive and there are usually a few cheeky digs at those in authority.

I had been tempted by the line up of inflatable water castles down at the Plaza del Pescadora but apparently I´m a little too old to splash around on them, so I immersed myself in a sea of hats. A fish fiesta a week before featured lots of historic photos and boat models depicting the history of local fishing, they even had a new temporary lighthouse looking out across the old beach.

The Sunday activities came to a climax with the statue of the Virgen being carried around town from her church home, and then taken out on a fishing boat at the head of a flotilla of other craft in full party mood. At night the firework display was even bigger and more stunning than ever, I enjoyed a great view from The Victory Bar in the Apolo Centre, very appropriate with the sea theme.