Lasarte: 'It hurts not to enter the play-offs when we've been at the top all season'

Alberto Lasarte regrets that his team UD Almería 'B' will not be able to compete in the play-offs for promotion to the third-tier Primera RFEF, but at the same time he underscored the brilliant season his side had in their debut in the division. 

 

There is one Matchday to go and the UDA Academy prospects are not virtually ruled out; however, they would have to hope for a Estepona defeat at home against the bottom team and for the Rojiblancos to stage a spectacular rout in Orihuela. An impossible task. 

 

'It's a shame because we have 51 points, and last year we made it to the play-offs with 53, but this time it was more difficult,' acknowledged the UD Almería 'B' gaffer, who considered the previous home performance to be crucial. 'The defeat against Estepona two weeks ago threw us off balance because if we had drawn, we would've been in the process of deciding.'

 

Regarding the feeling of being on the cusp of promotion, he admitted that it hurts more to have been so close. In fact, he stated: 'It hurts more because you've seen yourself at the top. We've been in the top five for almost the entire season.'  

 

'We'd be happier if we had been fighting relegation like Granada or Cádiz all year,' he added. 

 

'Getting over 50 points for a newly promoted team is wonderful,' he also said. Mr Lasarte emphasised the total  commitment shown until the very end because, as he said: 'The normal thing, after securing survival, which was the main objective, would've been to let it go, but on the contrary, the team are fighting until the very end.' And that's what he will do in Orihuela: 'Out of professionalism, as long as we have a mathematical chance, we're going to give it our all and we're eager to win in Orihuela.'