Real Mallorca, with a brilliant display of football in the second half, saw off a fiesty Cordoba 3-0 in front of 8,000 fans on Sunday night. The win, which came after three draws and a defeat, put the smile back on the faces of the players and their supporters. We now lie in seventh place just one point from the play-offs, a fantastic achievement and, most importantly, after two months we kept a clean sheet. It was all down to the tactical nous of coach Vicente Moreno that we went back to winning ways, his inspired substitution bringing on super sub Alex Lopez for Stoichkov just after half time was the turning point.
The game started at a high tempo, Cordoba didn’t look like a team in the bottom three and they threatened on several occasions. Mallorca also came close, two great Lago Junior efforts were brilliantly kept out by reserve stopper Marcus Lavin.
But before all that and for the second home game running, the floodlights failed. The players waited 15 minutes as the trusty car park generator was linked into the local grid and the game could continue. There’s obviously a major problem down the line with the stadium electrics but it all added to the drama. The club can expect a heavy fine from the Spanish FA. There was a hastily convened meeting yesterday with local companies including Endesa to sort out the issue. Mallorca have to pay 5,000 euros for use of the floodlights every game and it’s all very embarrassing.
The first half petered out into a game of two sides intent on al-out football, but with nothing to show in the goal department. All that changed after the break. Stoichkov, who’d drifted in and out of play, was replaced by Alex Lopez De Groot and with his second touch we went ahead. Man of the match (a magnificent Lago Junior) went down the left wing, crossed a worldy and Lopez pushed home his third goal of the season. The fans went mental and more was to come 30 minutes later and this one was really special. Substitute Buenacasa. who came on for a tiring Aridai, had a shot saved then seconds later he latched on to a loose ball, squaring to Dani Rodriguez, whose exquisite finish put Mallorca on the road to three points.
That was the definitive goal as the Son Moix faithful celebrated Rodriguez’s first goal for Real Mallorca. He came off in the 85th minute to rapturous applause. Lago Junior capped a virtuoso performance with a beautiful third goal after a Salva Sevilla wonder pass in the 93rd minute. The fans left the Son Moix very happy with what they had seen.