Real Sociedad vs Deportivo La Coruna. Spanish La Liga.
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Sunday 12 April 2015 22:19, UK
Substitute Toche struck late to earn Deportivo La Coruna a 2-2 draw at Real Sociedad in new coach Victor Sanchez del Amo's first game in charge of the Galicians.
Xabi Prieto put David Moyes' side ahead from the penalty spot just after the half hour mark but Deportivo were offered an opportunity to level from 12 yards before half-time, which Lucas Perez took by converting on the rebound after his spot-kick had been saved.
Chory Castro restored La Real's lead on 57 minutes with a sumptuous volley fit to win any match, but Depor salvaged a point as Toche nodded in with 12 minutes remaining.
The draw takes the Galicians up to 16th in the Primera Division table but level on points with the relegation zone, while Real Sociedad stay 11th.
The game got off to a slow start and it took 19 minutes for the first real chance to arrive, with Sergio Canales meeting a Xabi Prieto cross at the far post with venom, forcing Fabricio to react quickly to tip the ball around his post.
Depor showed encouraging signs under new boss Victor Sanchez del Amo and spent long periods of the first half attacking the hosts but they struggled to create an opening, with Ivan Cavaleiro's wayward shot their first attempt.
They fell behind on 32 minutes when Jose Rodriguez handled Canales' cross and referee Pedro Perez Montero pointed to the spot, despite Deportivo's insistence that the incident had taken place outside of the area.
Xabi Prieto calmly sent Fabricio the wrong way to score his fourth goal of the season, but Depor fought back.
Celso Borges should have equalised as he pounced on a loose ball in the area but failed to keep his shot under the bar. Then the visitors were awarded a controversial penalty of their own, with Perez Montero eventually ceding to Depor's protests after the ball struck Ion Ansotegi, who insisted the ball had hit him on the chest rather than his arm.
La Real goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli guessed right to send Perez's penalty spinning into the air, but the forward followed up the rebound to level.
Moyes' side went ahead again in the second half when Castro displayed extraordinary technique to batter Canales' cross into the far corner, marking his 100th match for Real Sociedad in style.
But Deportivo showed renewed courage throughout this first game under their new coach and fought back again. Captain Manuel Pablo - making just his second appearance of the season - floated the ball into the box from the left and Perez flicked it up towards Toche, who nodded into the bottom corner to earn a vital point for his new coach.
