Sociedad, Betis engage in slugfest

Sociedad, Betis engage in slugfest

Published Mar. 3, 2013 12:00 a.m. ET

Dorlan Pabon scored twice as Real Betis held off Real Sociedad's fightback to take a 3-3 draw from a freewheeling encounter.

Jorge Molina gave Betis a half-time lead after Antoine Griezmann's brilliant strike was disallowed at the other end.

Pabon doubled the lead but Sociedad roared back with three goals in 11 minutes from Carlos Vela, Inigo Martinez and Xabi Prieto, the latter with a penalty.

But Pabon's second secured a deserved share of the spoils for Betis, who more than played their part in a thrilling match.

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Elsewhere, Tomer Hemed's last-gasp header gave Mallorca a 2-1 win in stoppage time at Granada, breaking an eight-game winless run for the relegation-threatened club.

Hemed muscled by his marker to reach Giovani dos Santos' corner, with Granada goalkeeper Antonio ''Tono'' Rodriguez getting a hand on the ball but not enough to keep it from crossing the line. It was the Israeli striker's eighth goal of the season and his first since November.

Manuel ''Nolito'' Agudo opened the scoring for Granada in the eighth minute, only for Mallorca forward Alejandro Alfaro to level five minutes later from a cross by Dos Santos.

Mallorca's first victory under new coach Gregorio Manzano lifted it four points from safety. Granada is three points from the drop.

''These points reinforce our morale and give us strength,'' said Manzano. ''We still need many more points. I wish today's win had been worth eight instead of just three. But this win means a lot for the team and our fans.''

In Barcelona, Espanyol's home winning run was ended at five games after it was held to a 0-0 draw by Valladolid, keeping both teams in the middle of the table.


 

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