Cupid firing arrows? It’s a lovely thought but give me CD Tenerife firing goals anytime. My little heart was all a quiver before the home game with Second Division leaders Rayo Vallecano but they did me proud with a 2-1 victory that shouts from the Santa Cruz rooftops, CD Tenerife are back in business.
Another crowd of almost 16,000 packed the Heliodoro stadium despite Canal Plus snaffling the game for a 11 am live broadcast, the sun burst through just before kick off and both teams set out at a brisk pace. The home side had chances through Beranger and Kome but couldn’t make them count, Rayo disrupted their own rythmn by hitting the grass after any slight contact and the ref bought it every time.
It’s ice creams and cold drinks at half time in Santa Cruz but they could hardly prepare the crowd for the second half drama. Tenerife continued to dominate and a defensive handball gave them a golden chance with a penalty barely 15 minutes after the restart. Hidalgo’s shot was straight and true into the corner beyond the diving keeper but the ref wasn’t happy and ordered it to be taken again. This time Hidalgo sent the keeper the other way and the ball bulged the net again, party time on the terraces.
Nino is the crowds darling and he enhanced his reputation with a finely crafted lob into the Rayo net a few minutes later, now they were even dancing on the balconies that look down into the stadium. True love never runs entirely smoothly and the ref had no romance in his soul, just a pea in his whistle which he used to signal a phantom penalty, accusing Pablo Sicilia of pushing a Rayo player. Armenteros pulled a goal back to set up a heart stopping finish but with the crowd behind them and goalie Sergio Aragoneses in commanding form, Tenerife got their desrved reward.
