UD Las Palmas were close to gaining a fine win, but were denied in the last minute as Granada managed to draw level. UD Las Palmas were without five regular starters tonight in Granada. Sergio Araujo and Danny Blum were out injured, Rafa Mir was with the Spanish under 21 squad, while Fidel and Álvaro Lemos were also out through suspension. Pepe Mel was forced to put out a different side for this game, in the form of new arrival Srnic on the right wing who made his league debut, and the return of Juan Cala in the centre of defence, plus Eric Curbelo, Gaby Peñalba and Maikel Mesa.
Granada did not dominate proceedings as they were expected to. Las Palmas stood firm during the first half by playing some composed football, leading the home side to slow their own game down and allow errors to creep in. Eric Curbelo posed great danger on his wing, and it was the away side who came closest to scoring with a long range shot by Timor.
Raúl Fernández made a fine save (min. 31), as he turned a great shot by Castellano behind for a corner. Granada didn’t look comfortable and Las Palmas, in their own way, were running the show in a tranquil manner, as the sides went in at half time with a deserved nil-nil scoreline.
As soon as the second half got underway, Gaby Peñaba fired a shot wildly over the bar when well placed in the area. Las Palmas began to grow in confidence. Granada, meanwhile, were having problems keeping possession. Each fifty-fifty ball was fought with great tenacity. Timor had a long range shot from the half-way line scrambled around the post by home goalkeeper Raúl Silva for a corner in the 68th minute.
In another move by the away side, Maikel Mesa and Rubén Castro were unable to get a shot on goal following a corner. Las Palmas claimed a penalty for a tug on Gaby Peñalba. They were the better side in Los Cármenes, and in the 78th minute Timor, following a great cut-back by Rubén Caso, hit a hard left-footed drive into the bottom corner to make the scores 0-1.
The game became a crazy affair and Granada, with attacking substitutions, went all out for an equalizer. Two further great saves by Raúl Fernández (76’ and 78’) kept the home side at bay. Las Palmas needed to run the game down more intelligently in order to safeguard the three points and get nearer to the playoff spots, but in the very last minute a volley by Quini drew the home side level and denied Las Palmas a hard fought victory.
