After a tentative start, MCFF began to impose their law on the field of play. With an active Mery between the lines, and Encarni and Shiv projecting from the wings, little by little the opportunities arrived. The first came in 20’, with a toxic shot from Encarni that touched a rival player and narrowly missed the target. In minute 22, Adriana appeared with a powerful left-footer that grazed the crossbar. The opponent was well equipped at the back, with an imposing Celia as a reference on the attack.
In the 26th minute of play, Mery came close to taking advantage of an error by goalkeeper, Acu. Two minutes later, a cross from Shiv also sowed the seed of danger in the rival goal. The presence of Adriana in the game, particularly from set pieces, was ‘in crescendo’. Precisely from a corner kick, a shot from the Blue and Whites’ captain was repelled by Acu leading to a dead ball. An attentive Raquel then slammed the ball into the back of the net to the joy of the devoted crowd (1-0, 38’).
The fate of the match didn’t alter in the second half. In the 53rd minute came the only opportunity for the outfit from the Canary Islands, with a header from Celia that was safely saved by Chelsea. In 56’, ‘goal’ was chanted throughout the stands as an Adriana free kick touched the net from the outside. In 61’, an incombustible Adriana came close to scoring an Olympic goal, and two minutes later, a Mery goal was disallowed for being offside.
Paula, with a beautiful shot, tried her luck in 67’. And of course, Adriana again returned, this time with a header in 75’. The Malaguista ‘pichichi’ sought the goal with determination, but it wasn’t to be. What was achieved in the final minutes was maintaining concentration in defence and defending well in the opponent’s half, perfectly managing the tempo of play. The narrow but fair 1-0 win is the first important step in Antonio Contreras’ team’s fight for promotion.
Match stats: Málaga CF Femenino 1 – CD Femarguín 0
Málaga CF: Chelsea; Encarni, Postigo, Ruth, Shiv (Farfán 87’); Mery (Kerrlly 89’), Raquel, Pamela, Paula (Noelia 92’); Sheila (María Ruiz 75’) and Adriana.
Femarguín: Acu, Zule (Pica 84’), Chami, Cynthia, Eli (Kia 57’), Zaira, Astrid, Sara, Tania, Celia (Iris 69’) and Carla.
Goals: 1-0 Raquel (38’).
Referee: María José Villegas Navas (Córdoba). The yellow card was shown to visitors; Chami and Carla.
Information: Ciudad Deportiva de Cártama, with a crowd of around 1.000 spectators. First match in the promotion playoffs to the Liga Iberdrola.