MATCH REPORT | Muro CF 0-2 CD Jávea

Sunday 16th April 2023
Mike Smith with Xàbia AL DÍA

CD Jávea picked up another valuable three points with a tough 2-0 victory in Muro de Alcoy on a very warm early evening at the Campo Municipal La Llometa against bottom club Muro CF. It was a difficult encounter for the hosts looked far from a side propping up the table with just two wins all season and made the rojiblancos fight for every inch of the pitch. But second-half goals from José Cabo and Javi Hernandez secured the victory and edged CD Jávea close to a top eight position.

The match began with the home side looking the more comfortable and they announced within the first five minutes that they would not be rolling over and handing over the three points without a fight with a fine snatched half-volley from the edge of the area which sailed just wide of the right post with Tonet at full-stretch,

Jávea’s first attack came in the 7th minute with some great work between Luis García and David Buigues down the right, the latter firing a high cross into the box which was cleared by the defence, although there was little danger from the forward men as Jávea looked uncharacteristically hesitant to commit themselves.

Muro CF were the better team in the opening period, Jávea looking at little clumsy, finding themselves caught in possession too many times, the home side snapping at every opportunity to pressure their opponents. Head coach Julio encouraged from the sidelines, calling for more concentration on the ball because Muro looked more likely to open the scoring.

On 25 minutes, they went close after one of those snapping midfielders forced a Jávea player to lose the ball and passed to Muro’s Eugeni who fired a vicious shot from a narrow angle which was well-blocked by Tonet and then pushed out for the first corner of the game.

Yet, a couple of minutes later, Jávea had their best opportunity of the first half when they forced a corner which was taken long to the far post where it was partially cleared, the ball dropping to the feet of Pako about 10 yards out who fired low through the crowd but his shot was blocked on the line by a defender. Muro launched an immediate counter-attack down the right side, Muro’s skipper Torrella allowed the space to get off a powerful low shot across the face of the goal with Tonet beaten but relieved to see the ball sail just wide of the far post.

Just before the break, that #9 almost opened the scoring after pouncing on another clumsy pass from Jávea’s midfield, the defence managing to push him side to the right but he still managed to get in a shot which was well-saved by Tonet, surely one of the favourites for player-of-the-season.

Jávea head coach Julio made two changes at half-time, bringing on Marcos and Javi for Caturla and Pako in a bid to apply some pressure on to the home side. But it was Muro who had the first opportunity of the second period to open the scoring, Torrella again intercepting a pass in midfield but his attempted lob was easily collected by Tonet. A minute later, it was Jávea who tried the same move, Javi attempting a lob but the keeper claimed the ball on the line.

On 55 minutes, coach Julio made some more changes, bringing on Rubén Ortolá and Carlos Bisquert for Fran and David Buigues to try and change things as it was clear that Muro had done their homework. For a few minutes it made little difference as Muro had several more chances on goal, including a rather bizarre attempt which saw the ball fall right in front of the static Tonet and bounce over the keeper and just over the bar.

On 67 minutes, Jávea scored. Some great work from Luis García down the right saw him battle to get around the back of Muro’s Isaac, reach the goalline and pass back to Javi, who was unmarked on the edge of the area, the veteran midfielder making no mistake with a powerful shot from 10 yards which gave the keeper no chance.

The goal lifted the rojiblancos, handed them a bit of confidence against a determined home side that would not give up the fight and indeed had several decent opportunities to equalise. And then, on 79 minutes, José Cabo scored a wonder goal to hand Jávea a two-goal advantage. Picking up a great ball from Javi down the left, the tall #11 battled with the defender but all the way to the line before a bit of great trickery left sustitute Sembay on the floor and the striker ran into the area in acres of space and unleashed a fine shot across the face of the goal and into the far top corner of the net to make it 2-0 to the rojiblancos.

Muro had a couple of half-chances to score but the Jávea defence held firm and it was Jávea who had the last opportunity, Javi winning a free-kick out on the left, sending the ball into the area and the half-volley from Carlos hit the far post with the keeper beaten.

Next weekend, CD Jávea host CD Olímpic de Xàtiva, who sit in fourth spot in the table, whose away record matches the home record of the rojiblancos – W5 D4 L5 – so it will be an interesting test. Under head coach Julio Ivorra, the rojiblancos have chalked up one of the best forms of the second half of the season, only bettered by runaway leaders Ontinyent 1931 CF and UD Castellonense, and it’s good to remember one of the best games played at the Campo Municipal d’Esports in Jávea in recent years, when CD Olímpic visited as leader leaders and Jávea went on to crush them with four goals. The same again please. “¡SI SE PUEDE!”

Why is a top eight spot important?

In October 2022, the 55 clubs of the Regional Preferente voted to create a new regional tier – the Lliga Comunitat – which will become the highest division in the Comunidad Valenciana and will consist of two groups of 16 teams. It will begin next season – 2023-2024 – and will be the feeder division into the Tercera Federación, the bottom tier of the national pyramid system. The group winners would win automatic promotion whilst the second and third placed teams in each group would play-off for the remaining two spots. The bottom three in each group will be relegated to the Primera FFCV.

The current Regional Preferente will become the Primera FFCV and consist of four groups as it does now. The group winners would win automatic promotion to the Lliga Comunitat whilst the two remaining spots will be claimed by the winners of the play-offs between the runners-up in each group. The bottom three in each group will be relegated to the Segona FFCV. The bottom tier will be renamed Tercera FFCV.

In order to form the two groups of the Lliga Comunitat, it was agreed that the top eight teams of the current four groups of the Regional Preferente would qualify, except those four teams who win promotion to the Tercera Federación through the end-of-season play-offs; they will be replaced by those teams relegated from the higher division.