Yawn, yet again

By: Paddy | October 20th, 2008

Right we’re playing ourselves out of trouble slowly but surely, but not very well.

What I thought about the game

Racing Santander and Deportivo La Coruna won a point apiece following a dull encounter at El Sardinero in the seventh round of the Primera Liga on Sunday.

Racing midfielder Peter Luccin was at the centre of the game’s two stand-out incidents, as he struck the woodwork at the end of the first half and was given his marching orders late in the second, but neither side could break the deadlock.

Racing came into this encounter having secured their first league win of the season just before the international break.

That came in a similar encounter at Osasuna, with the Cantabrians stealing a dramatic late success after the home side had defended stoutly with 10 men for much of the game.

Those points moved Racing out of the relegation zone, but did little to mask the team’s serious problems in attack.

Juan Ramon Lopez Muniz’s side had netted just four times in the league before this match.

And Deportivo’s forward line had not fared much better.

The Galicians are three points better off than Racing but have just five goals to their name.

With both teams also looking fairly solid at the back, an exhibition of attacking football never looked on the cards.

Nevertheless, Racing began brightly and twice tested Deportivo in the early stages.

First Juan Valera got past Filipe and shaped to shoot, but was denied as the Brazilian full-back recovered to make an excellent saving tackle after 13 minutes.

A minute later, Jonathan Pereira advanced into the area and swept a dangerous centre across the box, only for an alert Diego Colotto to clear the danger.

Oscar Serrano then tried to set up Ezequiel Garay with a hanging ball at the far post, but the cross was just too deep for the Argentinian defender and Deportivo escaped again.

But as the game wore on, Deportivo improved and could have taken the lead 11 minutes before half-time.

Angel Lafita led a quick counterattack and spread the ball wide for Juan Rodriguez, but nobody was in the box to fire home the midfielder’s cross.

Just before the break, Racing came within a whisker of taking the lead when French midfielder Luccin crashed a blistering drive against a post from the edge of the area.

It was the highlight of a poor first half, but still insufficient to break the deadlock.

Deportivo began the second half brightly and created a decent opportunity after 50 minutes when Lafita latched on to Sergio Garcia’s free-kick, but his powerful effort was saved by Tono.

Miguel Angel Lotina’s side enjoyed the better of the second period and missed good chances to win the match.

Rodriguez and substitute Riki both squandered decent openings as the visitors dominated the closing stages.

And Rodriguez almost won it with four minutes remaining, but his long-range effort rebounded off the bar.

Luccin was sent off for a second bookable offence late on, but Racing had no time to capitalise and the game ended goalless.

Racing moved up to 14th place, while Deportivo dropped to 11th.

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