LIGA PORTUGAL BETCLIC: FARENSE 0-2 NACIONAL
LIGA PORTUGAL 2 MEU SUPER: MARÍTIMO 2-0 PORTIMONENSE
Last weekend, both professional Algarve football teams were beaten home and away by their first and second division counterparts from Madeira.
In Faro, on Sunday afternoon, Farense looked increasingly likely to accompany relegation favourites Boavista into the lower tier following a second consecutive home defeat to immediate rivals. Nacional had not won ‘abroad’ this season but gained the upper hand following Elves Balde’s 41st-minute infantile expulsion – unnecessarily kicked an opponent off the ball – with José Gomes scoring the opener immediately after the interval.
Numerical parity was then restored when Fuki Yamada collected his second yellow shortly afterwards, but Gomes made it 2-0 to the visitors still before the hour mark. Farense proceeded to pepper the Nacional goal thereafter with no success and remain in penultimate place with a daunting visit from Porto next up on Sunday evening.
Portimonense flew to Madeira on the Saturday afternoon to take on Marítimo, who, until then, were on a four-month winless home streak, and were promptly beaten hands down. Featuring six of their record eleven January transfer window signings, manager Ricardo Pessoa’s team showed an understandable lack of cohesion as the Madeirans scored either side of half time through Carlos Daniel and Guedes.
Portimonense still enjoy relative mid-table safety on 26 points, nine clear of relegation, and next welcome sixth-placed Torreense early on Sunday afternoon.
By SKIP BANDELE
