Match Preview: CD Jávea v Cullera CF

Friday 5th May 2023
Mike Smith

The confident 3-0 win at La Font d’En Carròs moved CD JÁVEA into the TOP 8 and they ceased being a chaser and became one of the chased. Destiny now lies firmly in their hands. Two points separates them from ninth spot with three games remaining, two of which are at home, the first against a side that hasn’t won for nine games, the second against the side which has been comfortably top of the table all season. Sandwiched in between is a tricky away trip to Tavernes de la Valldigna. Keep up that winning streak and that treasured spot in the next season’s inaugural Lliga Comunitat will be theirs.

The first of those games takes place this Sunday at home against Cullera CF, a side which has lost the last nine games and conceded an average of almost 4 goals a game during that run. By contrast, CD Jávea tops the table table as the form team of the moment, seven wins from nine games, putting them ahead of UD Castellonense and top team Ontinyent 1931 CF.

The rojiblancos will be seeking some revenge for the last time these two clubs met, a 1-2 defeat just before Christmas, an unlikely victory that lifted the hosts of the bottom of the table and a defeat that continued CD Jávea’s downward slide. A comprehensive home defeat to CF UE Tavernes the following weekend secured the fate of head coach Juan Carlos Signes, who had already tendered his resignation a few weeks’ earlier, but it was only accepted after defeat left the club well adrift of the TOP 8.

Head coach Julio Ivorra has restored a sense of pride to the club, both on and off the pitch, since he was handed the responsibility to do so back in December. Things weren’t so festive for the rojiblancos, sitting second-bottom in the table, and although the regional re-structuring means that there would be no relegation at the end of the season, it was certain that CD Jávea would miss out on becoming founding members of the new Lliga Comunitat, the new Tier 6, and drop down a tier to the new Primera FFCV.

The change on the pitch has been obvious. Twenty-two points from the 27 that have been available is stark contrast to the paltry eight that the rojiblancos picked up in the first eight games of the season. Confidence oozes through the side in buckets and a little more accuracy in front of goal might have seen the goal difference column moved into the positive by now. There’s still time.

And that confidence has clearly been felt in the stands. Home attendances have been climbing consistently since Ivorra took over and the mighty roar that welcomed the winning goal against CD Olímpic de Xàtiva might have been heard clearly across the municipality. Both the head coach and the players have acknowledged the contribution of this “12th player” in their bid to claim a Top 8 spot. And they will be calling on them once again to come out in large numbers of Sunday evening to give that support once again.