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.