| LA CORUNA,
February 6 (Primera Liga) - A late Diego Tristan penalty was
enough to give Deportivo La Coruna a point and maintain their
unbeaten start to 2005.
Since losing 3-2 in the Riazor to Real Zaragoza in the
last match before the winter break, Depor have registered
one win and four draws.
Tristan's spot-kick cancelled out a Pablo Orbaiz thunderbolt
which had given Athletic Bilbao hope of inflicting a fourth
home defeat of a disappointing season for Depor.
It was an open, entertaining, end-to-end match that neither
team deserved to lose, with Depor shading the first half
and the visitors edging the second.
Depor's Lionel Scaloni had the game's first goalscoring
opportunity following a brilliant zig-zagging run but a
bad bounce scuppered his shot.
Francisco Yeste looked the man most likely early on for
Bilbao and his delivery into the box was wasted by Joseba
Exteberria.
Depor gradually got themselves into the game with Juan
Carlos Valeron shining in the playmaking role.
But despite their possession, Depor had to be alert to
the attacks from their dangerous visitors.
In the 19th minute, Enrique Romero's vital clearing header
spared Manuel Pablo's blushes after the full-back was beaten
all ends up by the pace of Fernando Llorente.
Jorge Andrade then cut out Exteberria's pass to Llorente
with an inch-perfect interception.
Tristan then fired millimetres wide after good work from
Lionel Scaloni and then Albert Luque.
Tristan, receiving a pass from new signing Fabricio Coloccini,
saw his goalbound shot deflected wide at the last moment.
On the half-hour, Exteberria squandered a golden opportunity
after being sent clear by Yeste while at the other end Luque's
free-kick brought the best out of Daniel Aranzubia in the
Bilbao goal.
Five minutes after half-time and the visitors were ahead
when centre-midfielder Orbaiz found himself 30 yards out
and let fly into the top right-hand corner of Gustavo Munua's
goal.
Luque then almost conjured up a quite magnificent equaliser
with a moment of magic.
Receiving the ball on the edge of the area with a defender
at his back, he ingeniously flicked the ball up to set up
a brilliantly-executed bicycle kick that was palmed behind
by Aranzubia.
Bilbao thought they had doubled their lead in the 71st
minute when Yeste and Exteberria linked up for the latter
to drive home, only to see the assistant referee flagging
for offside.
Andrade then headed against the bar for Depor and Yeste,
following Ismael Urzaiz's chest down, forced Munua into
a vital save.
But with only seven minutes left, Victor Sanchez was tugged
back by Javier Casas in the area and from the resultant
penalty Tristan made no mistake.
Both sides pushed for a winner but the draw was a fair
result, although it does little for either side's mid-table
league positions.
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