Manzano: Draw With Sevilla Good For Mallorca Morale

In what was a poor game Real Malloraca managed to hold Sevilla to a 0-0 stalemate this afternoon, a result that slightly eases the islanders relegation worries.

They gave as good as they got against a Sevilla side who still appeared to be suffering from a European hangover after their Uefa Cup exit midweek, and Gregorio's Manzano's men more than held their own against a technically superior outfit.

The coach was delighted at the mental toughness of his players saying, " This result gives us a point that we may not have expected, and I was most pleased with thr defensive aspect of out play.

"We've done a great job to come together collectively as a team, closing down the space of the varied offensive weapons we faced. A point satisfies me due to the quality of the rival and the way in which we achieved it."

Mini - League

The point ended a run of three straight defeats for Manzanos' plucky side, who have relied on their home form to keep them out of the relegation dogfight so far.

With all the off-the-field trauma surrounding the ownership of the club, it was important that the club gave a positive display on the pitch to attempt to deflect the negative press.

Manzano believes that the league is split in two and they must continue to move in the right direction to steer clear of their rivals.

He continued, " There is now a mini-league between all the teams at the foot of the table, and we must continue fight until the last minute to make sure we are rowing in the right direction."

However, Mallorca are now into the run of fixtures known as the 'Everest', continuing with Barcelona in the new year, followed by Real Madrid and then Villarreal.

Paul Macdonald