Last Friday night, Portimonense at least tried to win a generally poor match at the Municipal Stadium, something that cannot be said of their ultra-defensive opposition.
Manager Paulo Sérgio’s men enjoyed 60% possession and had 16 shots as opposed to Famalicão’s 8, but a combined total of 40 fouls made for anything but a free-flowing match.
Dener could have boosted moral on the quarter-hour mark, but his free header from a Moufi cross was just wide of the post. By return, Diogo Queirós saw the visitors’ only real chance of the encounter thwarted by Samuel at the far post of the Portimonense goal.
At the other end, Famalicão keeper Luiz Júnior proved equal to a rasping Fabrício shot and the score sheet remained blank as the interval came around.
After the re-start, the Algarveans again found it hard to break down a packed Famalicão defence during several goal mouth scrambles, a powerful Anderson drive kept out by Júnior proving the best goal-scoring opportunity of the half.
The draw still sees Portimonense joint bottom of the table on eight points with neighbours Farense, but the situation is not as dire as it appears with only three points separating eleven clubs right up to eighth place in the table.
Portimonense will next visit Benfica on Tuesday the 29th before taking on Farense after the winter break.
Off the pitch, Japanese goalkeeper Gonda has left on loan for Shimizu S-Pulse in search for regular playing time, while January transfer target Keisuke Honda has decided to see out the remainder of the Brazilian season with Botafogo.
Attempts to overcome the bureaucratic difficulties which have blighted the transfer of Abang from Moldavia have now failed, but another pre-season ‘signing’, Iranian winger Jafar Salmani, has finally arrived in Portimão.
Further good news concerns the summer sale of Tabata, Sporting Lisbon having decided to add €4.5 million to the initial €500,000 payment while Portimonense still retain 50% of any future transfer of the player who now has a €60 million release clause.
