Numancia 1 - Deportivo 2

Numancia: Alvaro Nuñez; Jaume, Muñiz, Gustavo, Clavero; Iñaki, Marini, Nagore, Pacheta (Rubén Navarro 47'); Chispa Delgado (Barbu 58'), Ojeda (Rosu 65'),. 4-4-2.
Deportivo: Molina; Manuel Pablo, Naybet, Donato (Helder 46'), Romero; Emerson, César Sampaio; Scaloni, Djalminha (Valerón 73'), Fernando; Pandiani (Diego Tristán 63'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Numancia: Jaume, Clavero, Delgado for Manel, Octavio, Rubén Navarro / Deportivo: Donato, Emerson, Djalminha, Pandiani for Helder, Valerón, Turu Flores, Diego Tristán.

Goals:
0-1. 14. Donato. Headed Djalminha's free kick back past keeper.
0-2. 29. Fernando. Beat keeper after long pass by César Sampaio.
1-2. 60. Rubén Navarro. Shot through Molina's legs after receiving Nagore's pass.

In a game played on Saturday night, Deportivo La Coruña moved temporarily to the top of the first division with a controversial victory over Numancia. The home side had pulled a goal back after Depor had taken an early two goal lead, and with the game in injury time, Helder clattered into Barbu in the visitor's penalty area. The tackle would have been more appropriate on a rugby field or even in a wrestling ring, and around 10,000 voices shouted penalty. However referee Daudén Ibáñez didn't see anything wrong, or maybe he thought the challenge was accidental, and he waved play on. The players surrounded the referee, but his only action was to book one of the Numancia players, Rosu, and the game finished in uproar.

In a way this was poetic justice for Deportivo, who were robbed of a point by referee Pérez Lasa a year ago when goalkeeper Songo'o came up for a last minute corner and scored, only for the official to rule it out for a non-existent foul. That match ended 1-0, and with the earlier game between the two teams in the Riazor stadium ending 0-2 in favour of newly promoted Numancia, Deportivo had yet to get a point or even a goal against the Soria side. This time they only had to wait less than a quarter of an hour before they got off the mark, Donato taking advantage of a goalkeeping mistake to head home Djalminha's free kick. Fifteen minutes later they made it two, with Fernando, back in the side after good form recently, latching on to César Sampaio's defence splitting pass to score. Fernando was later to blot his copybook however, Daudén sending him off towards the end of the game for a second bookable offence. Deportivo could have extended their lead in the first half, with Nuñez making up for his earlier mistake with two excellent saves from Djalminha and Pandiani heading just wide.

Just after half time Herrera decided he needed Rubén Navarro, and the young striker came on even though he was not fully fit. The move worked, and Navarro beat Molina with a low shot under the keeper's legs after a good pass from Nagore. Maybe the goal upset the keeper, but after that he was superb, saving in particular from Navarro a few minutes after the goal. In the end the three points went to Gallicia, and Depor are top of the pile pending Valencia's result at Osasuna. Numancia drop closer to the relegation zone, but they have every right to be upset after seeing referee's decisions going against them recently, including two dubious penalties in the last match, and then watching Daudén turn down a legitimate appeal. They are currently passing through what some commentators have dubbed the 'Bermuda triangle', with the systematic league calendar throwing together games against Deportivo, Barcelona and Real Madrid one after the other. They need a result or two in their next two games not to lose ground with their close rivals. They could have picked easier teams to do it against.