It's our turn to win away. - Pablo Sicilia

"It's our turn to win away." These were the words of Pablo Sicilia in an interview this week. He followed it with the statement that this would help the team save itself. " We need to get out on the field with the same determination we had against Espanyol. The team is good and you can see this in the work we do day by day. We need to look to the future and no one should have any doubts about our comitment in Chapin." He continued that, "the block worked hard defensively last weekend and we need to continue that line. Also we need to make less mistakes so our rival has no chances."

José Luis Oltra trainer for CD Tenerife said in yesterday's interview that the game was very important. "For them it is a live or die game and for us too. We can have no doubts, in the case we win it is a thump on the table.”

When asked about the opposing team the Valencian trainer reminded " That no one has won clearly in Chapin. They are a team with good points and the are playing for everything. Whatever happens we have three games in a week and we are going to try to win the first one."

On the same theme the trainer continued saying "There is very little recuperation time but we have no excuse for this. Anyway right now the only game which interests me is the one against Xerez. The game this Saturday is the only one in the heads of the players and in mine."

Oltra, also talked abpout Xerez "The have changed their style over the course of the league. With Gorosito they won two games and are a convincing team. I hope to see a difficult game with work and hard fought plays. They know they have very little time left."

“What ever happens”, he continued "we need to keep on winning. This is a primordial game for the two sides. We need to go out convinced, with maximum faith and a need to win." Lastly José Luis Oltra talked of the state of mind of the players, "The group is intense, the work we did paid off with the victory last weekend" he added and then concluded " I am concerned with Tenerife and leaving three teams with less points than us. Then I will be the happiest man alive."

CD Tenerife 1 - 0 Xerez

I missed the first 30 mins as we managed to leave our season tickets at home and my other half went home to get them. Sat outside the agates waiting for him to get back. I was amazed at how many people are actually late. The queues were still 30 deep as the kick off whistle went and people were arriving for about 20 mins after that.

A win was needed and this is what the team provided. Xerez seemed to be playing for a 0-0 draw and didn't have a shot at goal in the first half. CD Tenerife had the possession and the ball very much under their control. There were shots at goal but the team were anxious and somewhat slow. The first chance came from Roman in the 4th minute with a hit on the post. Nino had a couple of chances with passes from Kome and Juanlu.
In the second half the oposing team changed Orellana in and he was quicker with more chances for a counter attack for the team from Jerez. Mario Bermejo had a shot at goal but it was saved by Aragoneses. The game seemed more broken at this moment but then came the goal from Tenerife. Omar passed the ball to the centre and Alfaro headed it into the net. After the goal and with the pressure taken off CD Tenerife played their best game. There was a possible penalty by leandro on angel but the ref didn't call it. Xerez teied to recover thier position but even with the keeper ruching to place the ball they had no chance.

CD TENERIFE 1 (0)- XEREZ CLUB DEPORTIVO 0 (0)
PLAYERS
CD TENERIFE
Sergio Aragoneses; Aitor Núñez, Manolo Martínez, Pablo Sicilia, Bellvis (Omar, 60’); Mikel Alonso, Román Martínez; Juanlu Hens, Alfaro (Richi, 86’), Kome (Ángel, 71’) y Nino.

XEREZ CD
Renan; Leandro, Aythami, David Prieto; Francis, Moreno (Abel Gómez, 77’), Bergantiños, Armenteros; Viqueira; Mario Bermejo (Antoñito, 67’) y Carlos Calvo (Orellana, 55’).

REFEREE
Carlos Clos Gómez, from Aragon. Yellow card for CDT player Román Martínez (23’), and for the visitors Armenteros (75’).
GOALS
(73’) Alfaro, header from a shot by Omar.

INCIDENCIAS

Eighth round of the Primera BBVA Leaguge. Stadium Heliodoro Rodríguez López. 17.754 spectators in the stadium. Hot afternoon. Ground was in perfect condition. Before the start there was an honor free kick by Domingo Barrera Corpas, a boxer from Candelaria, known as “El Ciclón del Atlántico”. He was Canarian champion, Spanish champion, Olímpic champion in Tokyo in 1964 and fought twice for the world title.

What a game

This was really a game to have seeN. We arrived over 1 hour before the start and the stadium was already half full. There was hissing and booing as the Xerez fans came out to warm up and Ovations as the Tenerife players came on.

There was a great mosiac provided by the Caja Canarias which looked awesome in the stadium.

For both teams this was an important game. A draw would have given Xerez (Jerez)mathematical qualification and keep Tenerife in with a chance for going up. Oltra our trainer had said on Saturday "All we need to do is concentrate and win. Even if we don't win we depend on ourselves but a win is what we need."

The game started well with both teams playing their best. An early goal from Alfaro put Tenerife in the lead. But for Tenerife worst was to come. After 27 minutes the ref sent Ricardo off with a direct red card for a foul. Tenerife need to pull theseles together and play even better and tht is what they did. Until half time they held the ball and just got on with defending.

At half time there was "El Chut de tu Vida" an chance for a lucky few to score a goal from the half way line and win money from the BBA bank the main sponsor of the first and second division here. No one won but it passsed a few minutes.

At the begining of the second half Xerez had a few chances but fortunately there wasn't a goal. Nino sentenced the game in the 84th minute. The Tenerife team played like heroes and a team worthy of being in "La Liga"

Next weekend they play against Girona away and hopefully will be mathematicaly qualified to go up.

This was taken  after the game ended. The fans just stayed and stayed. The marked board has Tenerife first which is why there is so much fuss. The player giving up his shirt was Pablo Sicilia but he was not the only one last night.