By CHRIS WRIGHT
Olhanense, who reached the quarter-finals of the Portugal Cup last season, recorded a comfortable victory in the third round over non-league 1° de Dezembro (Sintra) last weekend.
This was the final game that the Olhão side would play at the Algarve Stadium after extensive remedial work has been completed at the Jose Arcanjo Stadium.
Looking to record their first victory since August 17, the home side were without several senior players including Babanco, David Silva and Djaniny, who had returned late from Cape Verde following their famous Africa Cup of Nations victory over Cameroon.
Both sides started nervously and it was the visitors who were first to create a good opening, but Angel’s shot from the edge of the box sailed over the bar.
Olhanense went close when Vitor Vinha’s dipping free-kick flashed just wide of the upright. The home side finally broke the deadlock when captain Rui Duarte scored direct from a free-kick on the stroke of half-time. His effort from wide on the right evaded everyone, including the exasperated keeper Marco Pinto, and nestled in the far corner of the net.
Shortly after the break, 1° de Dezembro almost levelled the score when Sambinha’s header, from a corner, crashed against the bar and was cleared by a relieved defence. This spurred the home side into action and five minutes later Jander hit a wonder goal.
 José Arcanjo Stadium pitch in fine fettle after being relaid |
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The Brazilian-born player broke free in midfield and unleashed a thunderbolt from thirty metres that gave the keeper no chance.
With a quarter-of-an-hour to go Olhanense took an unassailable 3-0 lead when Sambinha failed to clear Targino’s cross. The ball fell at the feet of Yontcha who made no mistake with the easiest of chances.
Manager Sérgio Conceição said after the game: “I would not say it was an easy win. These are always difficult games against teams from the lower echelons but I congratulate the players as it was important to proceed to the next round.”
|| Moreirense at home
Olhanense return to the José Arcanjo Stadium in Olhão (behind McDonalds on the EN125) tomorrow (October 27) for kick-off at 4pm, when they will take on Moreirense in a vital relegation clash. The northern Portugal side pulled off a shock in the Portugal Cup last weekend when they knocked out Sporting Lisbon 3-2 after extra time, the first time in thirteen years that Sporting had been eliminated at the first hurdle. More and more critics are suggesting the club’s historical status as one of Portugal’s three “grandes” – Porto, Benfica and Sporting – is wearing thin. Portuguese sports papers headlined the crisis, “Unsustainable” screamed A Bola and “This is tragic” was emblazoned on Record’s front page.
