Encouraging signs despite no goals
Real Oviedo were held to a goalless draw by Mirandes in a game that saw Michu return to playing at the Carlos Tartiere.
Fernando Hierro made just one change to the side that drew in Mallorca last weekend with the pace of Pereira preferred to Linares.
After a slow opening ten minutes, Susaeta was the first to have an attempt when he cut in from the right and curled a left footed effort. Unfortunately for Oviedo it went over the cross bar. It wasn’t long before the winger was involved again, this time whipping in a cross for Toche but he could only head wide. On 20 minutes Pereira had another chance for Oviedo when Aurtenetxe's poor headed clearance fell to him but Pereira snatched at his effort and sliced it wide.
Moments later and Mirandes had their first shot when Guarrotxena fired wide after Lucas Torro had slipped and lost possession.
Toche had another chance after 25 minutes and again he headed wide, this time off a superb ball in from left back Varela. You would expect Toche to take at least one of the two chances that had fallen his way.
The last chance of the half fell to the visitors when Maikal clipped the ball past David Fernandez before outpacing the defender but thankfully shot wide at the near post.
Toche had another chance five minutes into the second half after good play from Nando teed him up but it proved not to be Toche's day as last seasons top scorer blazed wastefully over the bar. The crowd needed a lift and Hierro provided it just after the hour mark when he introduced Michu who came on to a rousing reception from the Carlos Tartiere faithful.
It wasn’t long before he was in the action as he fired just wide left footed from outside the area.
It was clear his introduction had given both players and fans a lift as the atmosphere was cranked up inside the stadium.
On the 70 minute mark Michu again went close when he met Susaeta's cross, unfortunately he couldn’t reproduce the heroics of Thursday night in Murcia as the header went wide. Michu was looking lively though and next threw himself at Alaniz’s low cross but was just beaten to it by a defender. Michu had one final chance on 88 minutes but again he headed wide. A difficult chance from Susaeta's free kick this time and the star man will have to wait for his magical moment of scoring at the Carlos Tartiere for at least another 2 weeks.
There was one final chance in the second minute of injury time and that fell to Alaniz but he volleyed wide from just inside the box. The full time whistle sounded soon after and the final score was 0-0.
Despite the lack of goals it was a drastic improvement on last week as we created several chances.
Next week we face a tough game as we travel to Madrid to face Getafe.
John Mothershaw
No comments:
Post a Comment