MATCH REPORT | CD Jávea 2-1 Ontinyent 1931 CF

Monday 22nd May 2023
Mike Smith with Xàbia AL DÍA

JOB DONE! CD Jávea will be playing in the new Lliga Comunitat next season after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over champions Ontinyent 1931 CF at the Campo d’Esports Municipal which was covered in red-and-white as the people answered the call and came out in huge numbers to roar the team on to success.

It’s a truly remarkable conclusion to a season that looked so lost at Christmas. Head coach Julio Ivorra came in and instilled a true sense of belief in the club that a TOP8 position was achievable. He then guided the team to play some of the best football in the second half of the season and their form, 11 wins and just two defeats in those 17 games, was second-best only to those who were visiting, champions Ontinyent 1931 CF.

This is a “promotion” of sorts. Next season, the new Lliga Comunitat becomes the new top tier of the regional amateur football, sliding in between the current Preferente and the Tercera Federación, the bottom tier of the national semi-professional set-up. You have to go back some 34 years to the last time CD Jávea won promotion, so it’s no wonder some 1,500 locals turned out to cheer on the team, many dressed in replica shirts.

The game was full of drama with the post hit three times and the bar twice. Both sides had early opportunities, Jávea’s Cabo smashing the ball into the side netting from a narrow angle before Ontinyent’s Casti’s shot from distance flew just wide of the post. On 24 minutes, the rojiblancos thought they had scored, Luis García poking the ball home after a great header down from Elian who rose highest to meet a free kick from Javi but he was judged to have done so from an offside position.

Two minutes later, they did score, tall defender Mario rising highest in a crowded area to nod home a corner from Javi to spark huge celebrations both on and off the pitch. For a few seconds, the pitch was covered in red and white smoke as flares were lit, and giant red-and-white flags waved in triumph.

The second half began with more pressure from the visitors who weren’t going to sit back and let their hosts have it all their own way. On 61 minutes, the inevitable happened when Ángel Cobo poked the ball into the net in a mad goal-mouth scramble. Some of the home players were incensed as he seemed to have done so from an offside position, almost a carbon copy of Luis García’s “goal” in the first half, but the goal stood and it was 1-1, enough to get secure a TOP8 spot but it meant that, with UD Calpe winning 1-0 at home to UD Canals, there could be no mistakes.

On 65 minutes, Cabo long range shot from the far right side somehow eluded the entire defence and goalkeeper and smashed against the bar. A few minutes later, defender Marcos Bisquert did the same thing. Substitute Carlos also had an opportunity but he couldn’t get enough power into his shot with only the keeper to beat and the custodian comfortably claimed the ball.

As news filtered through that Calpe had scored a second, there was an extra urgency to the rojiblancos game and they pushed forward, creating havoc in the opposition defence that paid off on 82 minutes when Cabo pounced on a horrific error by the defence to snatch the ball away and walk the ball into the net to make it 2-1, his eighth goal of the season which made him the top scorer for the campaign. The stand erupted into delight and the noise was terrific.

As the clock ticked past 90 minutes, the inevitable whistles began, lots of pointing at imaginary watches by players, the bench and many of the fans. But you keep playing until the referee says so and that’s exactly what Ontinyent did and it almost paid off when Casti was able to get off a low shot with the keeper beaten but the ball hit the post, much to relief of everyone dressed in red-and-white.

A few moments later, the referee did finally blow for full-time and, as the home players punched the air in delight, a sea of red-and-white invaded the pitch from all sides to celebrate with them. CD Jávea had done it. The rojiblancos will be playing in the Lliga Comunitat next season. Job done!