19.12.2010 19:00
Draw ends 2010 at the Mini (1-1)
Aida Soriano
Barça B took a point from their last game of 2010 with a 1-1 draw against Ponferradina. Saul got a late goal to put Luis Enrique’s team one up, but almost immediately, the visitors drew level.
Without a win in their last five games, the Barça B youngsters came out determined to impress the
watching President Sandro Rosell and put an end to that run against the struggling Ponferradina
team, but the visitors harried all through the game and they found it hard to impose their
trademark possession game.
Opening exchanges
Barça had the better of the rather hectic opening exchanges, but were
not finding it easy to link up and on 25 minutes Masip was forced into a good stop from Saizar, as
his teammates seemed to be suffering from nerves and making a lot of unforced errors.
Poor finishing
An early second half effort from Víctor Vázquez went close and with Romeu on to give more
consistency to midfield the team began to take more control. The visitors were being pinned back,
but both Montoya and Sergi Roberto were guilty of wasting good openings as Luis Enrique’s
charges again seemed lacking in accuracy in the last few metres.
Pressure mounts
On the hour mark, Edu Oriol came close with a shot from the edge of the
box and with the visitors sitting ever deeper, Nolito forced their keeper Mackay into a good stop
10 minutes later. Now Carmona and Saúl came on for Sergi Roberto and the limping Víctor Vázquez as
Luis Enrique looked for the winner, though it was Ponferradina who came close on 78 minutes when
Fontas did well with a last gasp tackle on Máyor when he was on the point of firing home from
inside the six-yard box.
Goal!
Two minutes later, Carmona slipped a through ball forward to Soriano,
whose shot was parried by Mackay, but only as far as Saul, who pounced on it to put Barça
deservedly ahead.
Immediate reply
Unfortunately there wasn’t much time to enjoy the lead, as Ponferradina levelled with
the very next move through Javi Lopez. Barça B threw everything forward in the closing minutes and
Soriano combined with Saul to get himself in a good position only to be fouled just as he was about
to pull the trigger and Mackay was equal to the subsequent free kick.
Back in 2011
The result was Barça’s fifth draw on the run and end 2010 in sixth spot on 27 points.
The competition now takes a break and Barça B’s next game is in Las Palmas on the first
weekend of 2011.
Photos: Àlex Caparrós-FCB.
STATS
Barça B, 1
Ponferradina, 1
Barça B: Masip, Montoya, S.Gómez, Fontàs, Abraham, Dos Santos (Romeu, min 46),
V.Vázquez (Saúl, min.73), S.Roberto (Carmona, min 64), Edu Oriol, Nolito, Jonathan Soriano.
SD Ponferradina: Mackay, Pepe, Iván Pérez (Javi López, min 63), Cristian, De
Paula, Cuadrado, Jonathan Ruiz, Del Olmo (Máyor, min 63), Candela, Saizar (Francis, min 79),
Toribio.
Goals: 1-0 Saúl, min 80; 1-1 Javi López, min 81.
Refereee: Daniel Ocón Arraiz.