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The players after conceding in stoppage time.
Late lapse costs Malaga valuable away win

Late lapse costs Malaga valuable away win

Having retaken the lead in the 80th minute, coach Juan Ramón Muñiz was visibly angered by his team's defending for Sporting's equaliser

Daryl Finch

Wednesday, 14 November 2018, 12:10

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Malaga have slipped to fourth place in the league table after a 94th-minute goal from Sporting Gijón's Carlos Carmona sealed a 2-2 draw at El Molinón on Sunday night.

Head coach Juan Ramón Muñiz was visibly angered at the full-time whistle having previously seen his side retake the lead with ten minutes to left to play. "The game was as difficult as we expected it to be but we did enough to take away all three points so losing in this way is embarassing," he said. "We weren't able to manage the last few moments and it made us look stupid."

Muñiz's side, severely hit by injuries and suspensions, had held their own in a ground where the hosts hadn't lost a game all season. The back line and midfield were hardly recognisable with David Lombán, Diego González and Badr Boulahroud getting their first league starts of the season in place of the suspended Federico Ricca, Alfred N'Diaye and Adrián, while Luis Hernández, ruled out until January, was replaced by Mehdi Lacen.

But while the personnel was different, the organisation, a Muñiz trademark, was impeccable, limiting the hosts to barely any chances in the first half.

For their part, Malaga's lively Senegalese forward Mamadou Koné poked the ball into the side netting after a mazy run down the left in which he beat two defenders.

The visitors then took the lead in the second half when Juanpi won and then converted a penalty, albeit indirectly. The Venezuelan midfielder hit the deck after veteran defender Álex Pérez placed his hands on his neck; top scorer Gustavo Blanco Leschuk struck his spot kick against the left-hand post but Juanpi reacted quickest as the ball flashed across the area to stretch and slide the ball into the bottom corner, despite the best efforts of keeper Mariño who insisted the ball hadn't crossed the line.

Ten minutes later, in the 75th minute, Sporting would have their own opportunity from the spot after Carmona tumbled, feeling a touch from Koné who had tracked his run into the box.

The midfielder stepped up to take it himself and despite Munir diving correctly to his right, the shot was too high for the Moroccan to keep out.

Koné, who told reporters after the game that he hadn't made contact with Carmona, then found himself in the right place at the right time four minutes later. After Renato Santos' strike hit the left-hand post, Pau Torres followed up with an effort hit straight at the keeper who was on the ground. The ball, however, fell perfectly for Koné to give Malaga the lead once again.

With ten minutes left on the clock, Malaga's players needed to use their heads to see out the game. However, a lapse in concentration deep into stoppage time would prove very costly. Lombán got too close to Uro¨ urevi for the throw-in and the Serbian flicked the ball on for Neftali Manzambi who easily outfoxed Pau before playing the ball across the face of the goal for Carmona to prod home the equaliser.

Malaga barely had time for the kick-off before the referee called time on another miserable away day for the Costa side. Following the previous week's capitulation at Osasuna, Malaga are now fourth, albeit just one point off top team Granada.

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