ROZEL Rovers remain in the second relegation position in flybe.
Combination Division I following a seventh league defeat of the season last night.
Jerry O’Shea’s side went down 3-0 at Springfield to the Portuguese Club, who avenged a recent penalty shoot-out defeat in the WJ Collins Memorial Trophy, to remain two points adrift of St Peter, the team immediately above them.Following a goal-less opening 45 minutes, the Portuguese took the lead ten minutes after the break when Vitor Santos’s shot from the right eluded Rozel’s defence and goalkeeper for his tenth goal of the season.Portuguese beat the offside trap midway through the half and Kenyan Nelson Mwakazi hitt the target from ten yards after exchanging passes with Carlos Carolo.Eight minutes from the finish Portuguese added their third when Norwegian Yan-Toré Ulvin got the last touch on Santos’s inswinging corner kick from Portuguese’s left.Rozel manager O’Shea said: ‘There was nothing in it at the break as both sides struggled to create chances.
I told the players that the match looked like being won by a mistake or an own goal and so it proved.’The first goal was a cross-cum-shot that took a wicked deflection, the second was 25 yards offside and the third our player had his shirt pulled as he nodded the ball into his own goal.’To say we’re not getting a fair rub of the green is an understatement.
Our players were on the half-way line for the second goal when the player made the pass.
It was off-side and even their manager agreed as he apologised to me.’Two-nil it was game over then and after that our heads went down.’Portuguese assistant manager Emanuel Rodrigues said: ‘There was little between the teams in the first half when chances were few and far between.
We spread it about a bit more after half time and that helped us get some goals.’Rozel didn’t really threaten us as they didn’t move away from their midfield.’Portuguese, who have played a game more, consolidated fourth place by moving to within one point of Jersey Wanderers and five clear of St Paul’s.Portuguese: Ricardo Sousa; Ricardo Pereira, Antonio Costa, Artur Calaca, Armando Fontes; Carlos Carolo, Marco Varela, Pedro Lopes, Gabby Marques; Vitor Santos, Nelson Mwakazi.
Subs used: Paulo Rodrigues, José Costa and Carlos Simoes.Rozel Rovers: Frazer McInnes; Jay Cassidy, Carl de la Cour, Yan-Toré Ulvin, Karl Megaw; Andy McCabe, James O’Haire, Paul Roberts, Dave Brennan; Marco Varela, Scott Healey.
Subs used: Ben Doherty, Dale Parker.Cautioned: Cassidy, Ulvin.
Officials: Andy Norman, Andy Cox and Steve Proffitt.
Article posted on 3rd March, 2004 - 12.00am
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