Graeme

We desperately needed to follow up our good win with another, and Diter Zafra were the visitors for the next game. Diter Zafra occupy the relegation playoff place, and with us now 7 points in front of them, it would be very useful to put more distance between us and them.

We started well and were causing problems in the away defence, butcouldn't sadly beat the visiting goalkeeper. On 12 minutes, we over committed and got caught by the classic counter attack, the culmination was the visiting striker slotting cooly past Aranda. All our good work could be undone if we let slip the points between us and Diter Zafra, and the boys now seemed to get a bit nervous, with more passes going astray than normal. Estecha had his moment of glory though on 28 minutes, when a good header from a set piece beat the visiting keeper for 1-1. This seemed to calm us down, and we started to play again. One point I noted was that Juan Carlos at left back seemed to be getting beaten for pace by their right winger, but without an adequate replacement on the bench I had to let it go. Anyway, half-time came without either side able to break the deadlock, but with Almansa looking like the better of the teams.

I encouraged our lads to be more assetive and tighter. The chances would come, but we needed to be watchful at the back. With that in mind, I was disappointed to have gone behind 7 minutes after the restart when Juan Carlos was beaten for pace again and the resulting cross was converted easily. We still looked the better side, but with the chances not falling to Estecha, we looked a bit toothless in front of goal. With 25 minutes remaining, I gave our side fresh impetus with 3 subs, 2 in the midfield and Carvajal for Javi up front. This didn't change the pattern of play though, we still created chances but failed to score. Diter Zafra were now operating very defensively and the last 15 minutes was more like an attack on defence training excercise. Unfortunately the defence won as we couldn't beat the Diter Zafra keeper again, and we slumped to a disappointing 2-1 loss.

After a good 3-0 win, to lose 2-1 at home to a side below you in the table is disappointing. I gave the lads a talking to in the dressing room and hope things would improve for the next series of games.

Graeme

Managing a small club struggling for consistency, the last thing you need is a trip to relative giants. This is what we faced in our next game, away to Cordoba.

I kept faith with Juan Carlos at left back, and the rest of the side remained largely the same. I hoped we would play out of our skins, while Cordoba had an off day, but the outlook wasn't great. Unfortunately, the game started exactly how the bookies predicted, with Cordoba tearing us apart at will. They scored in the 2nd and 7th minutes in an poening where my poor lads barely touched the ball. We then started to hold our own a bit more, but the game was still a rearguard action. Eventually the pressure told, and we were carved open once too many times conceeding a third in first half injury time.

I wasn't too sure what to say at half time, we had come up against a far better side in form and we looked every bit of the minnows we were. Still, I sent the lads out to be positive, and hopefully avoid the drubbing that looked on the cards.

Cordoba emerged seemingly relaxed, but a mistake from Ainzua sent the ball past Aranda for an embarassing own goal on 50 minutes. Cordoba scored again on 56 minutes for 5 and despite a brief respite with a 58th minute Estech strike, they again breached our leaky back line on 74 minutes. We managed to hold firm then until the final whistle, but a demoralising 6-1 score was the result.

We were all down after this. So far we had managed to avoid a true drubbing, but Cordoba were just too good. The one ray of light was Estechas 5 goal in as many games, and his form has been the one constant since he signed.

Graeme

Another away day was to come at Ecija, who are mid-table opposition. I brought back Rubio at left-back for Juan Carlos, who moved into the middle for Ainzua. We needed a positive performance after the humiliation of Cordoba, and I knew we could put it right if all the lads stepped up.

An abject performance was the result. In the first half, we looked inept at everything except defending, and managed to escape only 1-0 down following a 28th minute strike. Ecija weren't playing that well, we just hadn't really turned up.

At half time I laid into the lads. They had to wake up or we really were in danger of being dragged into relegation. I was therefore disappointed to conceed meekly 5 minutes after the restart, with little pressure on the ball Ecija were able to walk through us and score. Estecha yet again provided a moment of magic, this time on 57 minutes to give me hope that we had turned the game round, but more haphazard play resulted and we eventually conceeded again on 80 minutes, and conceeded an 83rd minute penalty that was converted with aplomb.

Losing 4-1 to a side that we should be competing with by my reckoning was yet another blow. With Badajoz up next, we would have to find something from somewhere, or we are dead and buried.

Graeme

The visit of Badajoz provided an opportunity to put right the wrongs of the last 3 games. They are a big side, but when we perform, we can give these teams a real game. That is what I was hoping for as I sent the lads out again.

I swapped Rubio and Kisko round, so that Kisko was at Left back, and Rubio right. With Eloi back training from injury but not fit to start, the rest of the side remained largely the same.

The game started with us performing a lot better than we had for a long time, but Badajoz were still clearly a good side. Charly, who we had sold to Badajoz in January, was causing us problems along with his midfield compatriots, and Badajoz duly scored on 16 minutes with Charly the provider. This was a bit gutting, but we were still in the game, largely because we were actually performing for once. Disaster though on 28 minutes, Estecha went down injured. The striker has been a revelation, scoring in each of the last 6 games. With Carvajal and Javi up front, we didn't have the same bite. We still were not being overrun though and ended the half only 1-0 down.

I rallied the troops and sent them back out for the second half with positive thoughts. The game continued in largely the same fashion as before the break, with Badajoz creating the better chances, but we held our own all over the pitch. The chances we created though were spurned, and needing to score I introduced Eloi for the last 10 minutes. This didn't work though and the game ended 1-0.

It was a positive game, despite losing. We had proved that on our day we can live with the bigger boys in thsi division, and without Estechas injury may have snatched something. Estecha will be a blow though, he will be missing for quite a few weeks after the injury that forced him off the pitch.

Graeme

Estechas injury showed me that we need to invest in another striker as soon as summer dawns. We can't keep relying on the fitness and form of one player, and this will probably show in the next crucial block of fixtures.

We were away next against UD Merida, another of the strugglers. We needed a big performance from everyone, but I couldnt risk Eloi from the start as he just isn't fit yet following injury.

We started the game nervously, and conceeded a 12th minute goal through some sloppy defending. We can't keep conceeding goals like this though if we want to succeed this season. The rest of the first half played out relatively evenly, but with Merida looking by far the most dangerous side in front of goal.

I appealed to the lads passion at half-time, hoping that a half of guts and determination could win us a game that we were definitely second best in so far. The lads responded briefly after the break, but after 10 minutes of not being able to score, we found ourselves conceeding chances again at the back. Having scraped though to 70 minutes without conceeding and more goals, I decided to bring on 3 players. Conde fitted into the middle of the park with Oya, and Eloi came on up-front for the tiring Carvajal. What I witnessed next was nothing short of a miracle. Eloi looked a man posessed when he came on, while the team were still a bit shakey. He ran 50 yards, beating 3 players to grab an equaliser on 79 minutes, ran onto a hopeful through ball to round the keeper for a second on 85 minutes, and in injury time he collected a clearance from a corner that Merida had thrown everyone into the box for and scored from 40 yards. Eloi's hattrick had won us a game 3-1 where we were by far second best apart from our hero.

I was absolutely delighted at having won a game we should have lost. This makes up for some of the games since Christmas that we should have done bettre in, and kept us 4 points ahead of the relegation melee.

Graeme

After his miraculous hattrick in the previous game, I wanted to play Eloi from the start, but felt that he eneded another week on the bench to regain full fitness. Cartagena at home were the next opposition, a top side, vying for a playoff spot, but after a morale boosting 3 points I hoped we could cope with their attacking prowess.

Carvajal had picked up an injury midweek, so I had to play Oya up front with Javi with Eloi to come on and hope for the best.

The game got off to a rip roaring start, with the action being end to end. Cartagena scored in the 9th minute, slackened off only for us to Equalise through Oya in the 12th minute. They scored again in the 25th minute, but Oscar Rico curled in a freekick in the 28th minute. The half just continued like that, but without a further addition to either goal tally, so 2-2 at half-time.

I had to try to find a way to keep the opposition out, whilst not stiffling our attacking powers, and brought on Ainzua for Juan Carlos at centre-half.

Amazingly, the second half started in much the same vane, all end-to-end action. I hadn't seen a game like this for some time, but it was nearly a quarter of an hour until there was any more scoring. On 58 minutes, we conceeded a 3rd and again Cartagena backed off. We didn't equalise immediately though, and with 20 minutes remaining I introduced Conde and Eloi to the fray. On 77 minutes though, oscar Rico did equalise for 3-3, and the game was yet again anybody's for the taking until Eloi popped up in the 86th minute for a fine finish. Cartagena couldn't breach our defences further and we had miraculously come away with 3 points from an amazing game.

Such a gripping game is not good for the manager, unless you come out on top when the final whistle blows. We had, and I was delighted with the game

Wilbor!

Mate, this great, i hope u keep it up, and dont just give up!

Graeme

Thank you! I will keep it up. More updates today, and depending how much I get done, maybe some more tomorrow.

Graeme

Firm top half team Ceuta hosted my Almansa side for the next fixture in what has been an up and down season. Keen to build on the successes of the last fortnight, Eloi started the game up-front alongside Oya, as Javi picked up a slight knock midweek. It was rather a makeshift front pairing, but one that I hoped could cause some problems. My biggest lift though was provided by the return to training of defensive midfielder Piombo. His abscence has really been felt and when he gets some match fitness his calmness in front of the defence will be a big plus for our boys.

Ceuta started the game well, as could have been predicted for a side from the top half of the table. They played the ball around nicely, but seemed to lack the cutting edge to really tear us apart. I saw some good performances from the defensive section of the side, restricting Ceuta to few opportunities. When they did break through, Aranda was equal to everything they threw at him. So, without providing much forward threat, we had contained Ceuta effectively for 45 minutes and the half time whistle blew at 0-0.

I was fairly content with our first half display, but wanted to give us more attacking impetus after the break. I therefore sent the lads out to try and cause the home defence some problems.

Whatever the opposition players had at half time though, I wanted to get some for my lads. They started brilliantly, carving us open immediately and only some good goalkeeping and wasteful finishing kept our clean sheet intact. Ceuta were now providing the cutting edge they had lacked in the first half. They duly broke the deadlock on 50 minutes though when another good move proved too much for us to cope with and a neat finish saw us go behind. Eloi was starting to tire up-front, understandable for a guy in his first start for a while, so I replaced him with Sergio, a backup striker. This didn't change the pattern of play though, and Ceuta kept coming and got their reward ion the 68th minute, a good header doubling their advantage. After this goal, the game settled down to be a rather even affair, with Ceuta not over committing to find a third and our attacking toil largely being broken down. The game petered out to a 2-0 loss, not a disaster, but without my first choice front pairing of Estecha and Javi we lacked bite going forward.

After this game, it was obvious that we needed to regroup and try to find a way of attacking more effectively. Quite how we were to achieve this I wasn't sure though as our best attacking players currently were littering the physio's office.

Graeme

Aguilas at home was next up for UD Almansa, and represented a must win game to keep ahead of the relegation dogfight.

I left the team largely unchanged, but included Javi on the bench as he had just resumed training. I asked for a reaction from the lads after the damp squib of Ceuta, and that was exactly what I got. We looked imperious, sweeping forward with intent and took only 6 minutes to take the lead with Muniozguren planting a far post header from a left wing Irazoki cross past the helpless visiting keeper. Our new found attacking confidence didn't abate there, and we continued to cause Aguilas problems with most of our forays into their half. It wasn't until the 27th minute though that we made the scoreline more comfortable. Eloi broke into the box and had his shirt pulled by a visiting defender, penalty. Eloi stepped up himself and slotted home for 2-0. We seemed to relax at this point, and not pose such an attacking threat, but rarely looked likely to concede so ended the half 2-0 in front.

I tried to get the lads to return to the flowing football that had seen us go 2-0 up and overwhelm the visiting defence. Piombo was on the bench for this one, and I wanted to give him 20 minutes to help him regain his fitness. With the second half starting like the first had ended, I changed the forward line around with Javi coming on for Oya. This did little to change the game though and Piombo made his return from injury for Manrique. The game though petered out again, but this time to a 2-0 victory.

Whilst I was happy that we had won, I wanted us to have gone on and really killed the game early. Perhaps if Estecha had been fit me might have, but he is still laid low with his muscle problem.