CF Benidorm claimed a valuable three points on the road on Sunday afternoon as they defeated CFI Alicante 2-1 in a dramatic encounter at the Estadio Antonio Solana.
After opening their Lliga Comunitat campaign with a 2-1 victory over Jávea last weekend, Benidorm made it two wins from two to make an excellent start to the new season.
The Starting XIs
CF Benidorm: Arcana, Viti, Arona, Marcos, Green, Sergi, Alvarito, Daniel, Luis, Davi, Cario.
CFI Alicante: Iyán, Lledó, Kaleth, Pipe, Souley, Noales, Llorca, James, Mario, Jota, Mora.
Benidorm survive early pressure
Alicante started brightly, winning successive corners inside the opening two minutes as Benidorm were forced to deal with some early pressure.
However, Benidorm soon settled into the contest and created the first real chance of the game after five minutes.A header was directed towards the Alicante goal, but the goalkeeper was able to make a comfortable save to keep the scores level.
By the 20-minute mark there was little to separate the two sides, with neither team able to establish control of the game.
Benidorm take the lead
Benidorm eventually broke the deadlock in the 26th minute.The goal came shortly before the water break and gave Sergio Mora’s side the advantage after a relatively even opening period.
Alicante looked to respond as the half progressed, and they eventually found an equaliser with just five minutes of the first half remaining.A long throw into the Benidorm penalty area was not properly cleared, allowing Alicante to take advantage and make it 1-1 in the 40th minute.
Dramatic end to the first half
Benidorm’s response was immediate. Just two minutes after Alicante had levelled, Benidorm restored their advantage in the 42nd minute to make it 2-1.
The drama did not end there.Alicante were reduced to ten men just a minute later when the referee produced a red card, leaving Benidorm with a numerical advantage heading into the interval.
At half-time, Benidorm held a 2-1 lead following an extraordinary five-minute spell.
Alicante goalkeeper produces stunning save
Benidorm immediately looked to extend their advantage after the restart and came incredibly close within the first minute of the second half.
A header appeared destined for the back of the net, only for the Alicante goalkeeper to produce an outstanding save to claw the ball off the line and keep his side in the game. Despite playing against ten men, Alicante continued to battle as Benidorm looked to protect their narrow advantage.
Benidorm hold firm
With 15 minutes remaining, Benidorm continued to lead 2-1 as the visitors moved closer to securing their second victory of the season.
Alicante attempted to find a route back into the game late on, but Benidorm continued to hold firm.There was further controversy in the 85th minute when Alicante appealed for a penalty.The referee rejected the appeal and instead judged the incident to be a dive, showing the Alicante player a yellow card.
Moments later, another red card was shown, this time to a member of the Alicante dugout, adding to an increasingly dramatic conclusion.
Full-time: CFI Alicante 1-2 CF Benidorm
Benidorm ultimately saw out the remaining minutes to secure a 2-1 victory and claim all three points on their first away trip of the season.The result means Benidorm have now won their opening two league matches, following last weekend’s dramatic victory over Jávea.Two games, two wins and six points represents an excellent start to the campaign for Sergio Mora’s side, who will now look to build on their perfect opening to the season.
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