Real Oviedo 0 Reus Deportiu 1

Winless streak continues

Real Oviedo stretched their run of not winning to five games after going down to a 94th minute goal by new boys Reus in a largely disappointing encounter. Fernando Hierro sprung a surprise in team selection after selecting a central midfield pairing of Edu Bedia and a first start for David Rocha. Alaniz also came in for Nando. These selections possibly with the game on Sunday in mind, although Torro was under the weather with flu. With little in the way of clear goalmouth action in the opening 20 minutes or so, Alaniz had one of the games first decent efforts on the half hour mark. His left footed effort from 25 yards went just over the bar. With an almost identical effort in terms of distance and power, David Rocha then unleashed a left footed effort of his own on 32 minutes and was desperately unlucky as his effort hit the crossbar and went away to safety. Five minutes before the interval Reus had a half chance that fell to Querol but he dragged his effort wide.

Real Oviedo had the last two chances of the first half and they both fell to Toche. On 43 minutes he cut inside from the left before unleashing a curling effort but it went just wide of the far top corner. Then on the stroke of halftime the striker who is yet to really find his best form this season headed wide from a Fernandez cross. Toche should probably have hit the target.

The 2nd half was largely a non-event as both teams cancelled each other out. Reus should probably have scored on 57 minutes when Querol shrugged off the challenge of Oscar Gil but shot wide when he should have done better.

It took Oviedo until the 76th minute to create anything in the 2nd half and even that was just a half chance. Michu plucked the ball out of the air with some wonderful control and unleashed a rasping left footed effort from the edge of the box but unfortunately for Oviedo it was straight at Edgar Badia in the Reus goal.

Just as the game seemed to be petering out into the 0-0 it probably deserved Oviedo gave away a needless free kick 4 minutes into injury time. The ball was whipped in and there was Mayor to stoop and head home unmarked to expose Oviedo's frailties from set pieces and snatch all 3 points for the visitors. Oviedo need to get back to winning ways and have a great chance on Sunday and should need no motivation as they head south to the place where we sealed promotion on that famous Sunday in Cadiz. It must surely get the blood pumping for the players who played that day and could be just what we need to get the season started. We will have to pick up our first away win in 9 months to do so though.

　

John Mothershaw