Celta Vigo 1 : 1 Mallorca - Mallorca pick up point

Posted Sunday, November 18, 2012 by PA

Mallorca ended a run of six consecutive league defeats by earning a valuable 1-1 draw at Celta Vigo.

Tomer Hemed put the visitors in front with his seventh goal of the season in the 22nd minute but Celta should have been level by half-time as Augusto Fernandez passed up two glorious opportunities to equalise.

Park Chu-young did eventually level for the hosts with a simple finish from a wonderful cross by Iago Aspas 11 minutes after the break, but it was Mallorca who came closest to a winner thereafter and Hemed was only denied his second of the game by a brilliant save from Javi Varas.

The draw extends Celta's unbeaten home run to five games but they will be disappointed not to have taken advantage of a Mallorca squad ravaged by injuries to key players.

Aspas was the only player who looked capable of consistently creating chances for Paco Herrera's men and he was first to threaten with a low effort that Dudu Aouate did well to turn round the post eight minutes in.

Hemed was on hand at the other end, though, snaffling Mallorca's only significant chance of the first-half as he adjusted his body well to volley a loose ball goalward and the shot had too much power for Varas.

Aspas played in Fernandez for what should have been the equaliser in the 32nd minute but he miscontrolled the ball with only Aouate to beat.

The Argentinian missed an even better opportunity six minutes later as more great work from Aspas teed him up 10 yards out, but this time he fired miles over the bar.

Varas had to make a smart stop from Hemed at his near post to keep his side in the game early in the second half, and that save proved to be crucial as Aspas' work was finally rewarded when Park bundled home his low cross at the back post to register his second goal in Spanish football.

Hemed thought he had restored Mallorca's lead with a fine downward header from Michael Pereira's corner on the hour mark but Varas got a touch to push the ball onto the bar.

Emilio Nsue also saw an effort well saved by Varas as the Islanders broke forward dangerously 15 minutes from time, but by that stage Herrera had bizarrely decided to substitute Aspas for Mario Bermejo and, without their talisman, Celta never threatened a winner.