Eddie's Final Whistle

2nd B Division, Group 3

Match day 19 – January 5 Lleida Esportiu 1 – 0 CD Castellon

A 44th minute dubious penalty was enough to give the home side all three points and, in doing so, inflict the third defeat of the season on a Castellon side who deserved at least a draw from this game.

Apart from the defeat, Castellon also finished the game with 10 men after midfielder Calavera picked up a second yellow card in the 70th minute and will miss next weeks´ game.

Despite the defeat, CD Castellon stay in second position on 34 points after the league leaders, CE Sabadell (35 points), also lost their game at Villarreal.

UE Cornella 1 – 0 Valencia CF Mestalla

Valencia Mestalla started the New Year with a narrow defeat; away at Catalan side UE Cornella in a match which they did not deserve to lose. However, a goal four minutes into the second half, from a Cornella corner, was enough to give the home side all three points.

This latest defeat for Valencia Mestalla was their sixth defeat of the season. They are in 14th position with 21 points and although their league position sounds as if they are safe enough, looking at the league table we can see that they are now only three points above the automatic relegation places.

CD Ebro 2 – 1 CF La Nucia Another defeat for one of our local sides as La Nucia travelled north to Zaragoza and ended up on the wrong side of a 2-1 defeat against CD Ebro who are always very strong on their home patch. Two goal just before the half time break put the home side very much in control and although Aguero pulled one back early in the second half as La Nucia took control of the game, a second was not forthcoming, especially after Aguero was red carded in the 71st minute for an elbow to an opponent just as it looked like La Nucia would snatch a deserved equaliser. This latest defeat for La Nucia leaves them in 10th position with 25 points – seven above the automatic relegation zone and eight below the play off places. Orihuela CF 2 – 2 Gimnastic Tarragona

This was a real relegation battle of a match as Orihuela (in 20th and last place in the table) took on a Gimnastic Tarragona side in17th position and also in the relegation zone.

With both sides in desperate need of the points, it was Orihuela who started the better and dominated most of the first half, although it was the visitors who were deadly in their few chances and took the lead in the 29th minute before doubling that lead just before the break.

The Orihuela manager made a double substitution in the 58th minute and that did the trick as goals from Bonilla (71 mins) and Bernabe on 75 minutes brought the scores level which was how the match ended. A result with which neither side will be too happy about as it leaves them in the same positions and in deep trouble at the foot of the table. Hercules CF 2 – 2 SD Ejea

With a new manager now firmly in place and having won the final match in 2019, confidence was high in Alicante as over 9,000 fans turned up at the Rico Perez Stadium to see if their team could turn that confidence into three points in the first match of 2020.

It was certainly a good start for Hercules who dominated the early stages and took the lead in the 10th minute as veteran striker Benja scored an excellent goal. But instead of going all out for a second, Hercules dropped back and allowed SD Ejea to push forward and score a deserved equaliser on 23 minutes. More of the same in the second half, Hercules opened the half dominating the game, scored on 50 minutes and in a carbon copy of the first half, dropped back again allowing SD Ejea to equalise for the second time in the game, after 63 minutes. Certainly this was a game Hercules could and should have won. But the dropped points could still haunt them at the end of the season unless they can start winning these kind of matches.

The draw leaves Hercules in 18th position with 17 points. They are still in the relegation bottom four and stay four points below their opponents who are in the first of the safety places (15th).

Atletico Levante UD 2 – 0 AE Prat An excellent start to the New Year for Atletico Levante who took all the points with this win, against an AE Prat side who are just one place off the bottom of the table and in serious relegation trouble. Defender Cantero opened the scoring for the home side just before the half time break and another defender, Gonzalo Pereira, doubled their lead on 66 minutes to make sure the points went to the side from Buñol. The win for Atletico Levante means they are in 13th position with 24 points and well on course to achieve their pre-season objective of staying clear of the danger zone this season. They are six points above the automatic relegation places. Villarreal CF B 2 – 0 CE Sabadell FC

An excellent start to the New Year for a Villarreal B side who took on the league leaders and took all the points and in doing so, inflicted the fourth defeat of the season on a CE Sabadell side who, despite this defeat, stay at the top of the group for another week at least as results elsewhere went their way.

The game could have gone either was as both sides pushed forward at every opportunity and created numerous chances. The breakthrough arrived on 80 minutes when Villarreal player, Millan (a second half substitute) opened the scoring. Six minutes later, Espi made sure all three points went to the home side as he scored Villarreals´ second goal.

The win for Villarreal means they are now in 8th position with 29 points and four points behind the fourth placed side. FC Andorra 1 – 0 UE Olot FC Barcelona B 2 – 0 RCD Español B

UE Llagostera 0 – 0 CF Badalona Match day 20 – January 12 Atletico Levante UD – Villarreal CF B

Hercules CF – AE Prat CD Castellon – CE Sabadell FC UE Cornella – CF La Nucia Lleida Esportiu – Valencia CF Mestalla

Orihuela CF – SD Ejea UE Llagostera – Gimnastic Tarragona

CD Ebro – UE Olot

FC Barcelona B – CD Badalona FC Andorra – RCD Español B

3rd Division Group 6

Without a doubt the top side this season in this group has been CD Alcoyano who took on probably the second best side in Intercity San Juan for what proved to be an exciting opening day fixture for 2020. The game certainly lived up to the hype as Alcoyano took the lead before Intercity went in at the break 1-2 ahead, The second half was mostly Alcoyano and the deserved equaliser arrived in the 77th minute. Even with the scores level, both sides still had chances before the final whistle.

The draw means that Alcoyano remain unbeaten for the whole of the first half of the season. They are top with 47 points, ten points ahead of both Villarreal C and Intercity San Juan who are in joint second place. The fourth (and final play off place) is currently occupied by UD Alzira, who were beaten for the fourth time this season at the weekend by fifth placed Atzeneta, but remain in fourth position with 31 points with Atzeneta now on 30 points, the same points as sixth placed CD Roda.

At the bottom of the table, UD Beniganim are in 20th position following their 15th defeat of the season at the weekend. They have 10 points and are 11 points outside the first safety place and something that looks impossible for them to overcome looking at their form for the first part of the season. Relegation looms for them I feel.

The same can almost be said about 19th placed Silla CF. They have 12 points from their 19 matches played and also in big trouble whereas CD Acero, in 17th position (and in the final relegation place), still have a good chance to avoid the drop. They have 18 points, two less than Hercules CF “B” who are one place above them in the first of the safety places.

Match day 19 – January 5 Atzeneta UE 1 – 0 UD Alzira Atletico Saguntino 1 – 1 Elche CF Ilicitano

CD Alcoyano 2 – 2 CF Intercity San Juan

UD SIA Beniganim 0 – 2 CF Recambios Colon

CD Roda 2 – 0 Silla CF CF Vilamarxant 1 – 1 CD Eldense CD Acero 1 – 2 CD Olimpic Xativa

Novelda CF 0 – 0 Crevillente Deportivo

Paterna CF 2 – 2 FC Jove Español

Hercules CF B 1 – 1 Villarreal CF C

Match day 20 – January 12 Novelda CF – FC Jove Español CD Acero – Crevillente Deportivo Hercules CF B – CD Olimpic Xativa

Villarreal CF C – CF Recambios Colon

Paterna CF – CD Eldense CF Vilamarxant – Silla CF Atletico Saguntino – CF Intercity San Juan

Atzeneta UE – Elche CF Ilicitano CD Roda – UD Alzira CD Alcoyano – UD Beniganim

Regional Preferente

The Regional Preferente groups and below, all re-start their season a week later than the divisions above them, so their first match back will be on the 12th of January.

It is also a good time to remind ourselves how the top and bottom of each of the four groups is before the action re-starts.

Group 1

CD Benicarlo top this Group with 39 points ahead of second placed CD Almazora, who have 34 points, one more points that third placed CD Burriana in third place. This weekend, it is top verses third in the game of the weekend.

At the other end of the table, just one point separates the bottom four sides. Club Almenara and CF Nules are joint bottom of the group with 10 points each. The two sides above them, CF Albuixech and Alqueries CF are both on 11 points.

Match day 18 – January 12 Manises CF – CF San Pedro CF Albuixech – CD Almazora CD Burriana – CD Benicarlo

UD Puzol – UD Vall de Uxo Alqueries CF – CD Soneja

CD LA´ lcora – CF Alcala CD Castellon B – CF Nules CD Cabanes – CD Onda Saguntino-Huracan CF – Club Almenara Atletic

Group 2

CD Buñol lead this group with 40 points from their 17 matches played. They lead second placed CD San Marcelino by five points with SC Requena in third place on 31 points. The leaders take on fourth placed Torrent CF (30 points) at the weekend which should be a great game.

At the bottom of this group it is starting to look bad for Burjassot, who are bottom with seven points and Discobolo-La Torre, one place above them with eight points. CD La Eliana are in the final relegation position (16th) with 13 points whilst in the first safety place (15th) are Rayo SAB with 17 points.

Match day 18 – January 12 Atletico Vallbonense – CD Utiel Godella CF – CD San Marcelino Paiporta CF – CF Torre Levante UD Aldaia CF – Discobola-La Torre AC

Atletico Benimar CF – Rayo San Antonio CF

Ribarroja CF – UD Quart de Poblet

UD Juventud Barrio Cristo – SC Requena

CD La Eliana – Burjassot CF Torrent CF –CD Buñol

Group 3

UD Carcaixent are top in group 3. They have 39 points and one more point than second placed UD Castellonense. Muro CF, with 36 points, are the third placed side, two points ahead of fourth placed UE Tavernes. At the bottom end of the table, CD Llosa and SD Sueca are joint bottom; both sides are on 10 points, two points behind the third bottom side Alcasser CF.

Match day 18 – January 12 CD Denia – CD Llosa Racing Rafelcofer CF – Muro CF UD Canals – LO´ lleria CF Pego CF – CD Javea CE Pedreguer – CD Enguera UE LA´ lcudia – UD Alginet UD Castellonense – Alcasser CF UE Tavernes – SD Sueca UD Portuarios – UD Carcaixent

Group 4

Group 4 has always been a very tough group with many sides capable of beating each other. This season, Rayo Ibense are the surprise team again as they lead the group, level on points with Independiente Alicante. Both sides are level on 37 points with the final play off place currently occupied by another of the pre-season favourites, Villajoyosa CF. FB Redovan, another surprise side this season, are in fourth position with 32 points.

Its´ very tight at the bottom of this group also. Petrelense are bottom with 12 points, the same tally as Benidorm CD one place above them. CD Murada, with 13 points are in the final relegation position.

Match day 18 – January 12 CF UD Ilicitano – Orihuela CF B Benferri CF – UD Rayo Ibense CD Thader – CD Universidad Alicante

Athletic Club Torrellano – CF Independiente Alicante

CF Calvari Benidorm – Elitei Project CF

UD Horadada – Villajoyosa CF FB Redovan CF – Callosa Deportiva

CD Murada – Benidorm CD UD Petrelense CF – CD Almoradi