Castellón close out preseason with 2-1 loss

Individual mistakes cost Castellón in last friendly encounter against Cornellà.

Castellón fell to defeat against Cornellà on a sunny and hot evening at Castalia to round out the preseason ahead of the season opener against Málaga next weekend. The new away kit didn’t bring them luck in front of goal, despite being dominant in possession and creating a number of opportunities.

The first chance of the game was for the visitors, when Cornellà took advantage of the Castellón's high line to get in behind, although Clau Mendes was forced out wide and Crettaz saved from a tight angle.

Raúl Sánchez and Cristian got the first half chances of the game for Castellón in a flurry of activity, but all were effectively blocked by the Cornellà defense. The closest they came was a shot by Cristian which squirmed through the legs of Miño but was somehow cleared off the line by the Cornellà defence.

Despite the pressure, it was the team from Barcelona that opened the scoring, as Gonzalo Crettaz was caught out by a deflected cross against the run of play.

A beautiful nutmeg by Manu Sánchez was the highlight of an otherwise forgettable start to the second half, until the referee awarded Castellón a penalty after the Cornellà defender handled a cross. Despite a poor first effort which was easily saved, Cristian tapped in the rebound to get Castellón back on terms.

The optimism was short-lived, however, as Cornellà got the initiative back through a couple of defensive misunderstandings between Crettaz and his defenders. The ball was cleared off the line for the first one, but Cornellà was not so forgiving for the second, as Castellón's keeper failed to claim a cross and Kike López headed home to restore their lead. New signing Sebastian Grønning, who had come on a minute before Cornellà retook the lead, would have delivered an immediate reply, but his powerful header was well kept out by Miño in the Cornellà goal.

The remainder of the game fizzled out with Castellón the better team, but long-range efforts from Moyita and Medunjanin were not enough to put the Cornellà keeper in any difficulty.

The team will need to regroup ahead of the all-important curtain raiser next weekend, which will be the first chance to see Dick Schreuder and the new signings in competitive action.

Castellón XI: Crettaz, Jiménez (Carles 78), Indias (José Albert 78), Óscar Gil, Manu Sánchez (Grønning 63), Salva Ruiz (Moyita 63), Dani Villahermosa (Medunjanin 46), Isra Suero (Fale 46), Calavera (Miñana 78)