Granada CF 0 : 0 Mallorca - Match abandoned after linesman hit

Posted Sunday, November 20, 2011 by PA

Referee Clos Gomez called a halt Granada's home game with Mallorca after one of his assistants was struck by an object thrown from the crowd.

Linesman Aguilar Rodriguez was lining up for a Mallorca corner when his cheek was immediately bloodied after being hit by an umbrella thrown from the crowd.

As a result, Gomez had no hesitation in leaving the field and taking his assistants, Rodriguez and Marco Martinez, with him, abandoning the game not long after.

The umbrella appeared to be thrown from the home fans, who minutes earlier had been celebrating their side turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 advantage.

Carlos Martins, whose young son is currently ill in hospital, capped the turnaround with a 25-yard strike that added to Guilherme Siqueira's goal. Victor had given Mallorca the lead.

Martins left the field to celebrate the goal with a pre-made t-shirt, was then booked for a foul on Tomas Pina, and the trouble erupted shortly after.

With Granada kicking off the game last on the ladder, the mood inside Los Carmenes was hardly one of joy, and Fabri Gonzalez's men did little to raise it as the produced an abject first-half showing.

Mallorca's form heading into the game was hardly stunning either - they had not won in six - but they set about things well and could have been ahead with just 65 seconds on the clock.

Victor was the man at the heart of the action, picking the ball up just inside the area, but he was unable to beat Roberto who spread himself well.

Alejandro Alfaro then drilled a half chance over the bar, and it was of no surprise when Mallorca took the lead after 23 minutes.

A long ball from the back was not cleared properly and fell for Alfaro, who ran at the home defence and then played in Victor, who learned from his second-minute chance and put a pinpoint effort beyond Roberto and into the bottom corner.

Granada's response was minimal, and they struggled to fashion a first-half chance until Daniel Benitez's run culminated in him fizzing a strike over the bar in time added on.

Mallorca regained control after the break, with Gonzalo Castro running down the left and driving a low, vicious shot just wide of the Roberto's left-hand post.

The let-off was just what Granada needed to wake them up, and they promptly equalised with 54 minutes gone.

Allan Nyom rolled the ball to Siqueira who had advanced up the pitch to find himself in plenty of space, and he did the rest from just inside the area.

The goal gave the home side belief, and they cashed in on it to complete a turnaround five minutes later as Martins took aim from 30 yards after a dogged run, leaving Dudu Aouate flatfooted in the Mallorca goal.

He immediately ran to the bench and brandished a t-shirt carrying a message for his son, and was visibly upset as he did so.

He was then booked for his foul on Pina, and in the ensuing minutes, Rodriguez was struck and the game ended.