Deportivo La Coruña 2 - 3 Espanyol

Espanyol win at Depor

Updated: September 19, 2009, 8:15 PM UK

Espanyol climbed off the foot of the Primera Division table after collecting their first goals and first points of the new season at Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday evening.

Jose Maria Callejon put Espanyol ahead in the 21st minute and the former Real Madrid youngster then set up a second for Juan Forlin just before the break after Depor had drawn level through Adrian Lopez.

Espanyol increased their advantage at the start of the second half when former Depor man Joan Verdu netted against the club he left this summer, and although the hosts pulled a late goal back through Nouioui Lassad, the visitors held on for the spoils.

Things could hardly have gone worse for Espanyol coach Mauricio Pochettino at the start of the season, and he was without key trio Ivan de la Pena, Raul Tamudo and Shunsuke Nakamura for Saturday's match at the Riazor.

And it might well have been another day of misery for the Barcelona-based club if Depor striker Riki's low shot had crept in after 16 minutes rather than been superbly saved by the diving Carlos Kameni.

Kameni's heroics did not go to waste either as within four minutes of that one-handed stop Espanyol had taken the lead.

Ferran Corominas initially looked as though he might net himself after picking up a through-ball and skipping across Depor goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia, but he could not get a shot away and instead passed the ball onto Ben Sahar, whose own effort was deflected behind for a corner.

And it was from that corner that Espanyol scored their first goal of the season, with Callejon ramming home the loose ball after Corominas' header rebounded back off the crossbar.

Espanyol will have been hugely relieved to have finally got off the mark, but their joy lasted just seven minutes before Depor drew level.

Adrian was the goalscorer but the credit has to go to Juan Carlos Valeron, whose clever turn and brilliant pass with the outside of his boot put Adrian through on goal, and the young striker coolly shimmied past Kameni before stroking the ball home.

Espanyol need not have worried about that setback though, as they were back in front by the interval.

Callejon was again involved, curling a left-footed cross into the area that Argentina defender Forlin got his head to and glanced into the far corner of the net past the leaden-footed Aranzubia.

The start of the second half was delayed as the sprinklers at the side of the pitch seemed to take on a life of their own, and it was Espanyol who adapted quickest when play restarted with Verdu making it 3-1 in the 53rd minute.

Another great through-ball, this time by Espanyol left-back David Garcia, found Verdu running into the area and he fired home at Aranzubia's near post.

Depor coach Miguel Angel Lotina had seen enough by that point, and soon after he made a treble substitution in a bid to find a way back into the game.

And the move paid partial dividends as one of the newcomers, Lassad, reduced the deficit with 14 minutes to go, slotting home from just a foot out after the ball had fallen kindly for him following a goalmouth scramble.

Lassad then had the chance to make himself a hero four minutes later, but he glanced a header wide of the far post following a corner when he perhaps should have done better, and with that opportunity went Depor's hopes of taking a point.