Archive Reports 2006/7

League fixtures for CF Mazarron for the 2006/7 season.

CF Mazarron score is always first, whether home or away.

Goal-scorers: Quintana 20, Nofuentes 15, Aiert 11,  Carrasco 9,  Quini 8, Nacho 6,  Sergio Garcia 4, Carmona 3,  Santi 3,  Carlos 3, Chavero 2,  Wic 1, Abel Mereno 1, Mara 1,  Carpio 1, Cubi 1, Kiki 1. Opponents 2.

Federation Cup: Nofuentes 2, Emilio 1, Cubi 1, Aiert 1

Squad members and backroom Staff, 2006/7

Table after Matches 38

Mazarron on the Brink of Segunda B

Mazarron ‘Grupo San Antonio’ CF 6, CD Valle de Egüés  1, 17.06.07

Mazarron made a huge stride towards Segunda B football next season in a match that truly was a game of two halves. The visitors, from near Pamplona, matched Mazarron well in the first half, and they even took the lead, but after the break it was to prove a totally different game. Before the match started there were signs that Egüés were not happy with the Murcian temperatures. With Mazarron warming up for the best part of an hour, as usual, the opposition didn’t make an appearance until 20 mins before the start.

Mazarron showed their intent, again playing with three strikers, with Carrasco tucked in just behind them and it was through Carrasco and Quintana, back to his best form again, that most of the early openings occurred. After 15mins, Quintana brought down an exquisite ball from Carrasco with his chest but was just muscled out of it by Aranguren, a huge presence in the heart of the defence. Shortly after this, the home side got a serious wake up call when an Egüés defensive clearance fell to Eber, their top scorer, just inside the Mazarron half. He saw Navarro off his line and shot towards goal but the keeper, desperately scrambling back, pushed the ball out for a corner. It was taken by Campos on the right and his in-swinger hit the inside of the far post before being cleared. Mazarron created the better chances as half time approached, with Rubén making superb saves from headers by both Nofuentes and Quintana, but in the 42^nd min. Egüés took the lead. As their second corner of the game was swung over, Jorge Gonzales was adjudged to have fouled an attacker and Campos dispatched the penalty, giving Navarro no chance. That sparked Mazarron into more action and almost immediately a ball from Carmona on the left eventually fell to the feet of Quini who fired in the equalizer from short range. Then the sparks really flew, and in Mazarron’s next attack, Tirso was sent off for his second yellow card as he tried to go through Dani Hedrera to get the ball, and Nofuentes headed Carrasco’s free kick wide.

Kike replaced Cubi at half time and Mazarron launched a series of attacks to take advantage of their extra man. Nofuentes and Carrasco both came close before Quini received a peach of a ball from Hedrera. He spun around on the edge of the area and fired goalwards, only to see Rubén pull off another great save. Mazarron were playing some beautiful fluent football by this stage and the visitors were struggling to cope. After 14mins, Jorge Gonzales shot from the edge of the penalty area and Rubén saved again, but he was unable to hold the ball. As Quintana lunged to follow up, the keeper flattened him and was sent off with a straight red card. After a couple of mins delay, Carrasco converted the penalty to put the home side in front for the first time. Five minutes later, Quini scored the goal of the game, and one of the best of the season. Kike made a run down the right and crossed the ball with pin point accuracy. Quini took it on his chest and scored with an over-head volley from 12 metres out. Mazarron were swarming all over their woeful visitors by now. Kike had a header disallowed for off side and in the 30th minute, substitute Ariz was the next to be sent off, handling the ball in the area. Carrasco scored again from the spot to make it 4-1 and three mins later Quini completed his hat trick, heading in from Kike’s cross. With just five minutes to go, Nofuentes hit the post with a shot after Kike was again the provider and then the pair did it again, but this time another  penalty had already been awarded when a previous shot during the bombardment had been handled on the line. This time Carrasco’s shot was saved but not held, and Carrasco himself completed his hat trick following up.

It would be amazing if Mazarron failed to complete the job on Saturday so next season, it should be Segunda B football at the Estadio Municipial.

Mazarron: Navarro, Cubi (Kike), Santi Silvar, Dani Hedrera, Carmona, Bersabe (Sergio Garcia),  Jorge Gonzales, Carrasco, Quini, Quintana (Aiert), Nofuentes,.

Mazarron dominate to reach Finals

Mazarron ‘Grupo San Antonio’ CF 1  UD Langreo 0, 10.06.07

Having achieved a goal-less draw in the away leg, on an unfamilar artificial surface, Mazarron totally dominated this match against a side that only conceded 30 goals in their 38 match league campaign. It was never going to be easy to break them down, but the home side finally scored the goal that takes them through to a two leg final against Valle Egues, from Pamplona. The first leg will be at Mazarron on Sunday evening at 1800hrs

Langreo had little ambition to attack their hosts, and relied on breaking out of defence to create the few chances that they had. This negative approach allowed the Mazarron wide defenders to move forward almost at will and Carmona in particular spent most of his evening providing crosses from the left. In the opening minutes, Mazarron advanced in numbers but the visitors defence was strong and there were very few real chances. The best fell to Cubi but he was unable to take advantage of the space he had following a free kick. Then, in their first attack of the game, Teto, the leading scorer, and clearly Langreo’s main dangerman, took a free kick on the right hand side. Angel got in front of Cubi to head into the net, but it was ruled out for off side. Despite their almost total dominance in the first half hour, the home side were creating few really good scoring chances, and the closest they came to a goal was when Carmona launched a long free kick from his own half that was met by the head of the smallest man on the pitch, but Carrasco was unable to control it and the header went over. The first encounter had had no bookings at all, but the tension of the situation was getting to the players and tempers flared after only 18mins when Sergio and Miguelez were both booked for pushing and shoving, but fortunately it didn’t get any further. Langreo had a short spell of pressure around the 30 min mark, but the closest they came was a header from Carly following another cross by Teto, but he failed to connect properly and it went wide. The first half closed with Mazarron well on top. Quintana, who was at last looking back to his sharpest, picked up a poor Langreo free kick and ran half the length of the pitch before unleashing a thunderbolt from outside the area, that pole-axed the skipper Rufi and left him needing treatment and looking very dazed.

At half time, Bersabe replaced Sergio, probably to save him being sent off, and his cultured play made a difference to Mazarron almost straightaway. After only 2 mins, Cubi made a run down the right and passed forward to Quintana. He cut inside, along the edge of the area and found Nofuentes in a lot of space on the left, but his shot was misdirected into the side netting. This set the tone for the half as Langreo retreated further into their collective shell and Mazarron attacked almost constantly. Jorge Gonzales shot over from 30m after being put in by Nofuentes and after 17 mins, an exquisite ball from Carmona found Quintana in space on the right. He chested down and shot, but Ivan Pinel was able to save at the second attempt. Kike had replaced Cubi on the right and then Chavero replaced Nofuentes, to the displeasure of large parts of the crowd. Some of Chavero’s crossing was woeful to say the least, but after 34mins, just after he had been booked for a dive, he pulled a good one out of the hat. It was headed clear by a defender and fell to Bersabe whose pile-driver was touched onto the top of the bar by the keeper. Four mins later Mazarron got the all-important goal that their play had richly deserved. Carmona crossed from the left and this time found Quintana in space as the defenders were now visibly tiring under the pressure. The header back across the goal nestled into the corner of the net and the team and the large crowd went delirious with relief. The visitors tried to change their game, but by this time they seemed to have forgotten what attacking was all about and Mazarron finished worthy winners.

Mazarron: Navarro, Cubi (Kike), Hedrera, Santi Silvar, Carmona, Carrasco, Jorge Gonzales, Sergio Garcia (Bersabe), Quintana, Quini, Nofuentes (Chavero).

’Keeper denies Mazarron

Olympico Totana 2  Mazarron ‘Grupo San Antonio’ CF 2, 26.05.07

Mazarron went into this game needing to win to be sure of the Championship, but in the end it was the Totana goalkeeper Christiano who had a great match to deny Mazarron all the points. Not only did the result mean that Mazarron missed out on their first championship in their 75 year history, but it also means a more difficult route through the playoffs.

Mazarron lined up with a 4-3-3 system, playing Quini, Quintana and Nofuentes as out and out strikers, with Carrasco playing just behind them, and, in fact, just about everywhere as the game unfolded.  The opening quarter belonged entirely to the visitors, with the home side not having an attempt on goal until the 18^th minute. Before that, Quintana had come close to connecting with a Carmona pass from the left and Nofuentes had tried to lob the keeper twice, but one attempt went just wide and the other went over. When Totana did threaten the goal, it was the diminutive Manolo, latching onto a through ball, whose shot was deflected for a corner. Chico swung the corner over and Isi headed narrowly over the bar. Christiano has a tendency to play well away from his line, and nearly paid the price in the 20^th min when Nofuentes fought to beat 4 defenders out on the left before trying a lob that was only just wide of the target. This spurred the visitors, and it was Carrasco who shredded the home defence with a superb ball inside Morillas. Quintana pulled it back for Quini to open the scoring with a firm shot. Mazarron finished the half by far the strongest, with much of the play down the left hand side where Carmona was picking out Nofuentes with great regularity. Chico came closest for Totana, but his long-range free kick from 35ms went over the bar.

In the second half, the pattern was much the same as the first. Quintana and Nofuentes had changed sides, and Abel was on for the injured Carmona, but with Carrasco running the midfield ever more effectively, it looked to be a matter of time before Mazarron increased their lead and made the game safe. Jorge Gonzales headed over from a Carrasco free kick, and Quini headed narrowly over after Carrasco and Quintana  had combined well down the left. In the 14^th minute, Christiano began his heroics. Quintana picked out Gonzales with his cross and the goal-bound shot was saved by the keeper. Kike had replaced Nofuentes by this time but he shot wildly over the bar from a cross by Abel and then was much closer with a long-range shot that went just over. Then, in the space of two minutes, Christiano saved the match for Totana, with two wonderful saves, both from shots by Kike. The first was after a cross by Quintana and the second after Carrasco had played a ball square to him and he looked a certainty to score. This gave Totana heart, and after 35 mins play, Chico found Manolo on the right hand side of the penalty area. His first shot was blocked by Navarro, but he made no mistake burying the rebound. Machuca then made his last throw of the dice. He brought on Mara to replace Arambarri, and within two minutes, Mazarron were in the lead again to the delight of several hundred travelling supporters. Abel took a corner on the right and the ball went right over to Bersabe on the other side. He played it back to Mara, who ran forward, playing a one-two with Bersabe before cutting into the area past two defenders and unleashing a shot that went across the goal and left Christiano helpless. There was still time for the keeper to make another great save from Quintana, before Totana gained a corner on the left, one minute into stoppage time. As the corner was being taken, Christiano, who had come up the pitch, made a run for the near post. This seemed to confuse the defenders and as the corner sailed over them all, Dani Morin rose at the far post to shatter Mazarron’s championship dream.

Mazarron: Navarro, Cubi, Hedrera, Arambarri (Mara), Carmona (Abel Moreno), Bersabe, Carrasco, Jorge Gonzales, Quintana, Quini, Nofuentes (Kike).

Mazarron ‘San Antonio’ CF 3 AD Mar Menor  1, 20.05.07

The season will reach a dramatic finale this coming weekend as the top five clubs still have all to play for. The championship is between Mazarron and Real Murcia B. They are level on points as I write, although Mazarron still have to complete their abandoned game at Caravaca on May 23^rd, resuming with the score at 1-1, with six mins of actual time and 6 mins of added time to play. If that score remains the same, then Mazarron will be a point clear with the last match, away at Totana, to play. If they win there, Mazarron will top the division for the first time in their history and go into the playoffs with confidence. The last two playoff places are between Mar Menor, Sangonera (who visit Mar Menor for the last match) and Caracava, who have an easier looking game at home to Pinatar. If you are a fan of football then it would be well worth picking out a game this weekend.

In this match, Mazarron beat Mar Menor with a fine display of flowing football, gaining revenge for their defeat earlier in the season, when they were lucky to get away with a 2-4 score-line. This time they made no mistake, despite the efforts of Sergio Beato in the Mar Menor attack. Before the match started, Los Amigos de Mazarron (the British supporters club) presented their Player of the Season award to Ivan Nofuentes, who has scored seventeen league and cup goals this season, despite starting from the bench for most of his appearances. It was Nofuentes who made the chance for Carrasco to open the scoring when, after 10mins of play, he passed from the right and Carrasco side footed in at the near post. With Mazarron restricting the visitors mainly to shots from long range, both Sergio Garcia and Quini came close with shots at the other end, before Quini extended the lead after 24mins. He received a quickly taken free kick on the edge of the penalty area and swiveled around to fire the ball past Ernesto, into the top corner of the net. A few mins later, Navarro did well to save a shot from Beato, and both Nofuentes and Carrasco went close with shots just wide in the few minutes before half time.

The second half started quietly, until, in the 53^rd min, a poor clearance by the Mar Menor defence following a Mazarron corner, fell to Carmona. He is not averse to lashing a shot in these situations, but this time he found Santi Silva, in the box for his aerial power, who drove in an unstoppable volley that Ernesto barely had time to see, to take the game beyond the visitors. In the 69^th minute, Chavero, who had replaced Bersabe only 10mins earlier, was sent off as he attempted the retrieve a ball that was being shepherded out of play by a defender. This allowed Mar Menor to get back into the game a little and shortly after Navarro had saved from Beato again, he was finally beaten by substitute Suso. As the game came to a close, Quintana had two good chances when through on the keeper but the after hitting the keeper with his first, the second was well saved by Ernesto.

Exciting times lie ahead in the next month for the Mazarron supporters and hopefully they will be watching football in Segunda B next season.

Mazarron: Navarro, Cubi ,Santi Silvar, Dani Hedrera, Carmona, Bersabe (Chavero), Sergio Garcia, Jorge Gonzales (Kike), Carrasco, Quini (Quintana), Nofuentes,.

Match Abandoned in Cauldron Atmosphere.

Mazarron: Navarro, Cubi, Hedrera, Santi Silvar, Abel Moreno (Chavero), Carmona, Bersabe, Carrasco, Jorge Gonzales (Kike),

Quini, Sergio Garcia (Nofuentes). 

Mazarron slip up badly.

Mazarron ‘San Antonio’ CF 0 Calasparra CF 2, 05.05.07 

Rafa Muňoz, trainer of the team last year, received a warm welcome from the Mazarron fans and his new team were determined that they were not just there to make the numbers up. Indeed, they were the better side throughout, as Mazarron had a seriously ‘bad day at the office’. Despite having the major share of the possession, as soon as they got into the last third of the park, too many passes went astray and when the strikers did get the ball, the final attempts on goal were often woeful.  

As early as the first minute, the visitors showed their intent with a flowing move down the left hand side that resulted in Peňaranda shooting just wide. The first good chance from the home side came a few minutes later when Imanolo cleared up-field to Wic who played it quickly on to Carrasco but his square pass to Sergio Garcia was dispatched well over the bar. Two minutes later, Quini attempted a lob from a long way out, but he struck the ball far too hard and it cleared the goal by several metres. The play continued to ebb and flow throughout the half, with Carrasco playing his usual high energy game for the home side, and Tico, on the left wing, causing problems for the defenders whenever he got the ball. Peňaranda saw another shot go over the bar from a long way out and Jorge Gonzales headed well over from a Carrasco free kick, before Wic had a shot blocked when in a good position following another free kick. Either side of the 30 min mark, Calasparra came close to taking a lead twice. Firstly, a jinking run and cross by Lozano on the right cleared all of the defenders and fell to Tico, but his shot was saved low down by Imanolo and a couple of mins later, the same player cut into the penalty area but again his powerful shot was blocked, this time by a defender. By this stage, the game was getting quite feisty, and the referee was having difficulty keeping things under control. Eight players had been booked before halftime and although it was not clear, as the card waving was often a little vague, it looked as if Julio Cardoso had been booked twice without the referee realizing it. I think Rafa knew, because he was substituted shortly afterwards.  

Mazarron started the second half positively, as first Carrasco sent a diving header wide and then Nofuentes shot across the goal and the ball passed agonizingly wide of the far post. At the other end, Lozano saw his shot beaten out by Imanalo for a corner that came to nothing. After eleven minutes, the visitors got the goal that their play deserved. Lozano again shot goal-wards, the keeper could only push the ball away and Tico pounced to fire home. The goal had the effect of causing the home side to become even more erratic as they became more desperate.  Nofuentes had two good chances, but he headed the first one over, and then a shot on the run was saved by Monteagudo. A decisive moment came after 29mins of the half. Substitute Kike threaded a pass through to Carrasco who shot into the net, but was given offside, despite there being a defender who looked to be playing him on by a good 2 metres. Heads seemed to go down at this stage as Kike wasted a wonderful scoring opportunity in front of goal, before Tico became the filling in a Santi-Arambarri sandwich just outside the area. Jurado fired the free kick wide though. With five mins to go, Calasparra dealt a final blow as Imanolo again failed to hold a shot from Peňarando and Jurado headed over Santi and into the net from the rebound. There was still time for Mazarron to finish the game as they had done all afternoon, with Nofuentes again shooting wide after being played in by Carrasco. The next 2 games are against two of the teams trying to secure a play off place, so there are still difficult times ahead for Mazarron.  

Mazarron: Imanolo, Carpio, Cubi (Santi Silvar), Arambarri, Carmona, Wic (Kike), Sergio Garcia (Quintana), Jorge Gonzales, Carrasco, Quini, Nofuentes,.

Mazarron win in testing conditions. 

Jumilla CF 2, Mazarron ‘San Antonio’ CF 5, 29.04.07 

This game was played in conditions more akin to a February afternoon in the UK than a Spanish day in late April, following a downpour in Jumilla the night before. There were two areas where standing water caused the ball to stop dead and to make matters worse, the home side had had the pitch narrowed by about 3 ms, presumably to try to counter the wing play of the Mazarrón attackers. However, both sides tended to play the ball in the air more than would be usual and this led to an often destructured game. 

In the opening few minutes it was the home side that settled first and they created a couple of chances, David Garcia shooting over the bar and Raul having a shot saved by Navarro, but in the eleventh minute they were stunned by a 32m shot from Carmona, after Quintana had headed back to him, that gave Alberto no chance. After 25mins, the visitors struck again. This time Arambarri played a long ball out of defence that was headed on by Sergio Garcia for Nofuentes, who made no mistake from just inside the area. 8 mins later, the home side were given a lifeline when awarded a penalty. David Garcia had an opportunity on the edge of the area and lobbed the ball goalwards over Navarro, only for Cubi to clear off the line with an overhead kick. The half clearance fell to Raul, who was bungled over by Sergio Garcia and the penalty was awarded. Angel took the kick, that hit the bar and went over, but Cubi was adjudged to have encroached on the area and it had to be retaken. Gonzalo made no mistake the second time. Mazarron played the best move of the match so far just before half time. Great play by Wic and Carrasco made an opening for Sergio Garcia, but he ballooned his attempt over the bar.  

Three goals in the first five mins of the second half had the crowd buzzing. Almost straight from the restart, Qunitana side-footed the ball over a defender for Nofuentes, who deftly lobbed over Alberto for his second. 2mins later a corner on the right by Jumilla was played back to Raul, whose cross was forced into the net by Alex to reduce the lead again. At the other end, Quintana headed a long ball down to Carrasco. He swept the ball out to Carpio on the right, whose return cross was met sweetly by the head of Quintana to bring his personal dry spell to an end. Straightaway, Nofuentes found himself through on goal again, but this time his shot was not accurate enough. The game quietened down a little then until Fran was sent off for a second booking after felling Carrasco, who is adept at making the most of such situations. This event somehow gelled the Jumilla defence and they were not beaten again until a delightful move involving Chavero, Nofuentes and Aiert led to Nofuentes beating the keeper again, but Aiert was given off side for his part in the proceedings. However, playing his first full game for a long time, Nofuentes was not going to be denied his hat-trick and on the stroke of full time, Carrasco was again the provider with a through ball that left him with just Alberto to beat, which he did with the least of fuss to round off an excellent display in difficult circumstances by him and the whole team. Mazarron are now almost mathematically certain of the playoffs and with a lead of six points with 4 games remaining, it would take a brave man to bet against them for the championship.  

Mazarron looking like Champions.

Mazarron ‘San Antonio’ CF 1 CD Beniel 1, 22.04.07

At the start of this game there were 67pts and a whole league separating these two sides and the difference in class was obvious from the start. Mazarron dominated the match and a series of misses in front of goal and some bad luck were the only things that kept the scoreline down to a respectable level. Mazarron fielded a debutante, Quini, to lead the attack and the leagues top scorer Quintana was relegated to the bench after being out of sorts recently.

The game started fairly quietly, but soon the Mazarron midfielders were swinging long balls out to Carpio and Wic and their speed was to prove too much for the visiting defenders. Aiert was relishing the service from the wings and he came close twice before he turned provider after 14mins. Carrasco did well to control his difficult pass and juggled the ball around Alberto in goal before putting it into the empty net with Quini in close attendance. Carpio was enjoying the space on the right and a few minutes later he made an opportunity for Quini to unleash a shot from the edge of the area that Alberto could only block and Carrasco just failed to pick up the rebound. Aiert was the next to come close after good play by Quini, but his first attempt was blocked and the rebound was lobbed over the bar. It was 25mins before Beniel came close to the Mazarron goal, but Gusi, by far their best player at the time, saw his chance deflected, but he was adjudged to be off side anyway. The best move of the first half came after 35mins, when Abel Moreno again found Carpio in space. He gave a quick ball to Aiert who took his time and deftly lobbed the keeper, only for Chema to head the ball out for a corner from under the cross bar. Mazarron scored a second after 39mins and it was no surprise that Carpio was again in the thick of things. He controlled a pass from Jorge Gonzales beautifully and centred powerfully for Quini to head home from 8 metres. 2mins later he repeated the service for Abel Moreno, but he shot wide of an empty goal. Then, on the stroke of half time, Beniel won a penalty when Cubi clattered into the back of Juanfra and Gusi made no mistake from the spot.

At the start of the second half, Beniel were considerably better and for a while it seemed that there was a little nervousness creeping into Mazarron’s game.  However Mazarron had brought on substitute Nofuentes and his pace added yet another dimension to the attack and eventually this was to prove decisive. After 12mins he headed a cross from Chavero narrowly over the bar and a few minutes later, after picking up a pass from Carpio, he played a quick one two with Quini and shot just wide. With 20mins of the game remaining, and the Beniel defence tiring badly, a clumsy tackle gave the home side a free kick on the left. Chavero delivered a perfect ball for Quini to volley goal-wards, but the shot was blocked. Nofuentes was first to react, gleefully firing into the net from around 10 metres. A minute later, Nofuentes was fortunate to get the ball back after