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The winning streak is over for Malaga CF, who had to settle for a goalless draw on Sunday afternoon away at struggling Sanluqueño.
It was a difficult day for Sergio Pellicer's side; they had to adapt to the circumstances (windy conditions and a particularly physical opponent) and were never truly comfortable in what was ultimately a scrappy affair.
Although the visitors controlled possession, the conditions at El Palmar were a leveller and the match remained evenly poised right until the end.
That said, Sanluqueño started the brighter of the two teams, but Malaga had the clearer chances. The first major opportunity fell the way of Dioni who somehow missed the target after squeezing the ball through the keeper's legs from a tight angle.
Next, Genaro's strike from outside the box required the intervention of Samuel Pérez's fingertips to keep the scores level at the break.
In the second half, Pellicer made attacking substitutions to increase the pressure, but Malaga struggled to convert their opportunities.
Dioni, again, was culpable, missing a double gilt-edged chance from close-range before substitute Álvaro Bastida struck the base of the post for the hosts at the other end.
Then, as it looked like the game was done and dusted, Malaga thought they had a chance to snatch all three points in the dying moments when Javier Avilés was on the receiving end of a kick to the shin after having already got his shot off. However, the referee decided against giving the penalty.
"It's pretty clear, I saw it on TV," said Pellicer following the game. "That was a textbook penalty."
That said, the coach was happy with the outcome overall: "I'm satisfied with the team's performance and keeping a clean sheet, but we must continue to push and improve. The result this time was fair."
While Malaga's unbeaten run continues, their momentum has been halted. With leaders Castellón losing to Alcoyano, a win would have helped Malaga to narrow the gap to the top. As it is, the Blue and Whites sit fourth, eight points adrift, and with Cordoba having strengthened their grip on third place.
Up next for Malaga is the visit of Intercity to La Rosaleda on Sunday (noon kick-off).
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