Cordoba 4 Real Oviedo 2

Play off hopes in tatters after shattering defeat

Real Oviedo suffered a humiliating defeat to all but end their play off hopes in Southern Spain.

The manner of the defeat is the most painful thing after it was mostly of our own doing with some woeful defending.

Fernando Hierro named the same starting eleven for the third game in a row. The feeling pre-game was Oviedo needed to win all three remaining games after wins for Huesca & Valladolid.

All Hierro's planning went out of the window after 35 seconds when Christian failed to deal with a routine ball allowing Piovaccari a free run at goal and he made no mistake smashing home past Juan Carlos. It was the kind of error that seems to have re-occured in all too often an away game this season.

Ten minutes later and it was 2-0. Again it was a poor goal to concede. Another routine ball this time caught out the other full back Diegui as he allowed Galan to run in behind but this time the shot was saved by Juan Carlos. However Galan managed to square the rebound for Piovaccari who was more alert than David Fernandez and he prodded home his second.

Real Oviedo were offered a lifeline just after the half hour mark when Carlos De Pena was wrestled to the ground from a Susaeta cross. As luck would put it Toche saw his spot kick saved by Kieszek in the Cordoba goal.

Five minutes later the inevitable happened and Cordoba made it 3-0 when Galan's low cross was slammed home at the far post by Alfaro. It really wasn't Real Oviedo's day as everything that could go wrong did seem to.

On the stroke of half time Nando extended that bad luck when his curling effort came back off the cross bar.

The second half continued in the same vein as Cordoba made it 4-0. Lara's free kick effort looked tame but took a wicked deflection off De Pena and wrong footed Juan Carlos to roll into the far corner.

Real Oviedo battled in the last twenty minutes and managed to pull a couple of consolation goals back through substitutes Saul Berjon and a Linares penalty. We can have no complaints at the result though as we were completely outplayed.

This game all but ends our play off hopes as we are five points from the play offs with two games to go. We are also four points off the next placed team Huesca. We need to win both our games and hope for plenty of favours elsewhere.

Next week is our final home game as we welcome free scoring Sevilla B to the Carlos Tartiere.



John Mothershaw