Portimonense almost pulled off a big win over erstwhile league leaders Penafiel in Braga last Sunday afternoon despite being reduced to nine men during the latter stages of the match.
A very competitive encounter between two promotion-chasing sides was played at a frenetic pace which could have seen the score stand at two a piece following the opening quarter of an hour had Guedes for the hosts or Semedo and Wakaso for the visitors been more emphatic in their finishing.
As it was, the well-balanced and flowing game continued goalless until a hand ball in the area just before the interval gave Portimonense the opportunity to take the lead. However, in the absence of suspended regular penalty marksman Ricardo Pessoa, flamboyant Brazilian striker Dyego Sousa saw his spot kick saved by excellent Penafiel keeper Coelho.
Manager Lázaro Oliveira’s men gained the upper hand after the break only to see their best efforts thwarted as previously unobtrusive referee Cosme Machado increasingly resorted to the use of yellow cards to retain control over proceedings.
Thus a total of seven second-half bookings culminated in the 69th-minute dismissal of Mica effectively ending Portimonense’s quest for maximum points. Substitute Diogo Melo then lasted a full three minutes before collecting a straight red leaving Portimonense two players short – as the final minutes ticked away there was still time for Penafiel’s João Pedro to become the third protagonist to receive his marching orders providing a disappointing end to an otherwise enthralling encounter.
The draw enabled Moreirense, 1-0 winners at bottom club Atlético, to establish a four-point lead over the Algarveans who next face one of the geographically furthest away fixtures in European football in the Azores against Santa Clara tomorrow (Saturday).
