IMORTAL FOOTBALL CLUB ALBUFEIRA

Yesterday. The final game of the season, Imortal 1 - 1 Ferreiras. Imortal needed to win to finish second, but a poor second half performance let them down. Final position is third. That qualifies the club for entry into next season's FA Cup. Report tomorrow.

IMORTAL 1 - 1 FERREIRAS

Imoral needed to win to ensure second place in the final table, but their approach was far too cautious at times and left it too late. So cautious in fact that in the second half there were only 9 minutes of the normal 90 remaining when Imortal had their first effort on goal.

The local derby with Ferreiras always gets a decent crowd, with the two grounds being a little less than two miles apart. Among them were two groups of English 'lads' all very well behaved and busy buying most of the stock in the club shop. The half time 'ice bath' challenge was taken up by two from Birmingham, their endurance winning them a team shirt each.

It was a bit windy and the pitch a bit brown in places, but it played well. Ferreiras started off well, forcing Pedro Rodrigues into a slightly wild clearance, which Barreto seized upon but to no avail. Walter Alves had a great chance to put Imortal into a tenth minute lead. Good work down the right by Herlander Tome and Coelho set him up near the penalty spot. He had time to measure his shot, he hit it well enough but it went wide.

A wild hack in midfield by Dragnev earned him a booking on the quarter-hour. Ferreiras took the initiative from that, Prates made a good block, which resulted in three quick corners for the visitors but none were particularly well executed.

Imortal responded. Coelho, who was very energetic throughout, was just wide with a stab at a cross, then Herlander Tome and Prates got themselves into a tangle with Tome giving Prates a telling off. Imortal then started to go sideways and backwards, rather than forwards, but two chances came at the end of the half. First went to Duarte from a cross by Salvador, denied by the offside flag. Second went to Alves and this was successful. Coelho was the architect, finding Alves unmarked on the far side. His shot was low, hard and accurate for his ninth goal of the season, second highest total behind Duarte on 21.

Ferreiras dominated the second half to the extent that I recorded them having nine clear efforts on goal to Imortal's two and five corners to one. Winger Vargas was a problem for Imortal's defence from the off. Imortal could have started well, but a great run by Herlander Tome was stopped by the most blatant pull of a shirt you will ever see. Yellow card for Viana. Antonio also had a chance, but his run from halfway ended with a weak shot. He was subbed shortly after.

Imortal's midfield and defence was starting to look a bit overwhelmed, seeing little of the ball. An equaliser looked inevitable and so after 62 minutes it came. The troublesome Vargas outwitted the defenders, crossed to substitute Martins, who had come on only three minutes earlier, who blasted it into the net from 10 metres out.

Vargas was in the frame again, it cost Pedro Rodrigues a booking to stop him.

The ref called a water break with 18 minutes left on the clock. Time for some words. Something worked. After 36 minutes without a single effort on goal, Herlander Tome had one on target but easily smothered. Ferreiras immediately made three subs, fresh legs simply the reason on a hot afternoon.

Vargas had a good effort go just over, then a terrible free kick by Dragnev was so off target that it gaves Alves a shooting chance, but that went wide. Ricardo Tome (Ruca) managed Imortal's second shot on target, but again easily saved. There was a little pressure from Imortal in added time, but the Ferreiras defence dealt competently with everything.

News that Quarteirense had beaten Portimonense B came through. That meant Imortal finished third behind Quarteirense by virtue of the head to head record between the two. Quarteirense had been very much the form team in the second half of the season. Ferreiras finished fourth.

But, after being relegated last season, finishing third is a reasonable end to proceedings. It's been good to see the club making good efforts to attract tourists, with the club shop well stocked on match days (they might need some larger sizes though!) and announcements in English.

Imortal's competitive season will begin on the last weekend of August, the date for the first round of the Portugal FA Cup. The league season will be starting three or four weeks after that.

Top goalscorers : Mario Duarte 21, Alves 9, Ruca 8, although to be fair he started only 15 games.

Most starts : Duarte 33, Alves 32, Dragnev 31

Full player stats (you will need to copy and paste all of this, sorry) - http://www.algarvebus.info/PDF/Imortal%20season%20stats%202024%20-%202025.pdf

Imortal team on Saturday:  Inacio; Prates, Pedro Rodrigues, Dragnev, Salvador; Sousa, Coelho, Alves, Antonio; Herlander Tome, Duarte. Subs Used : Tomas Rodrigues, Baldé, Ricardo Tome

Match statistics

Free kicks conceded :Imortal 13, Ferreiras 12
Offside : Imortal 2, Ferreiras 1
Shots on target : Imortal 3, Ferreiras 2
Shots off target : Imortal 5, Ferreiras 6
Shots blocked : Imortal 1, Ferreiras 4
Corners : Imortal 3, Ferreiras 11
Yellow cards : Imortal 2, Ferreiras 1