28 October 2006, by Tom Kundert

Buba thwarts Sporting in pulsating encounter

Beira-Mar 3-3 Sporting

Cameroonian centre-back Buba Yohanna (pictured) scored a hatrick last night to earn Beira-Mar a deserved draw against Sporting in a pulsating match played in Aveiro.

After coming from behind, Sporting seemed to have won all three points thanks to goals from Alecsandro, Djalo and Liedson, but Buba had other ideas as he twice equalised, with the final goal of the night scored in the 94th minute.

Sporting started strongly but Liedson showed his lack of confidence by missing two good chances in the opening seven minutes that would have normally ended up in the back of the net.

Practically the first time Beira-Mar ventured upfield they took the lead. Tello fouled Vasco Matos near the corner-flag, and from the resulting free-kick Buba was left unchallenged to nod the ball past Ricardo. It was the start of a nightmare performance from the Sporting rearguard, who failed to deal with dead-ball situations all night.

Five minutes later Buba came close again from a clever free-kick but his header flashed wide. Sporting responded with Alecsandro forcing Ale into an excellent save, with Liedson knocking the rebound into the net, only to be correctly ruled offside.

Sporting dominated possession until the break but failed to create clear-cut chances. Paulo Bento brought on Yannick Djalo and Carlos Martins for the second half. The pace of the former and the skill of the latter lent the attack more urgency.

Ale gift

However, it required an embarrassing blunder from the home goalkeeper for Sporting to draw level. A low cross seemed easy pickings for Ale, but the keeper let the ball slip through his fingers straight to the grateful Alecsandro who tapped it into the empty net.

The stopper then redeemed himself with a tremendous save from a Moutinho thunderbolt. Yannick and Ratinho then traded chances as the game began to really open up.

Bento threw on Nani for Paredes, and just five minutes after entering the fray the young winger was instrumental in a fine move that gave Sporting the lead. Nani slipped a perfect pass to the overlapping Tello, who passed back to the waiting Djalo whose shot beat Ale with the help of a deflection.

The goal was the cue for former Sporting hero Jardel to join the action. Just three minutes after coming on some shocking marking left Jardel with a free header. Ricardo managed to save the initial effort, but Buba nodded the ball into the net in the ensuing scramble.

The drama continued as Liedson at last broke his goal drought turning in a Carlos Martins cross to score his first goal from open play this season. The 89th-minute strike seemed to have given Sporting victory.

Incredibly, there was still time for a late late equaliser as Sporting failed to deal with a corner and Buba slammed the loose ball gleefully into the net.

Paulo Bento, Sporting coach:

“When we are one goal up and the time added on is shown, we can’t continue to try and play pretty football. It’s not compulsory to always play pretty. We have to get the ball in the Beira-Mar half, or kick it into touch. Other teams do it, so why can’t Sporting.”

“Not even the youth team plays pretty football when they are one goal up in the last minute! Beira-Mar battled for a point and we ended up offering it to them. We were punished for being too naïve.”

Augusto Inacio, Beira-Mar coach:

“My team showed they were never afraid of Sporting. They believed until the end. We came back twice from being behind, which doesn’t happen often in football. We showed the attitude that has lacked in other matches.”

“It was an electric match. I didn’t want it to end, even if Beira-Mar ended up losing. It’s this sort of game that brings spectators to stadiums. The real winner tonight was football.”

Beira-Mar:
Ale, Ricardo, Marco, Buba, Tininho, Torrao (Andre Leao, 68), Diakite, Ratinho (Jardel, 82), Vasco Matos, Rui Lima, Jorge Leitao (Wegno, 75)
Yellow Cards: Buba (12), Ratinho (42)

Sporting:
Ricardo, Abel, Polga, Tonel, Tello, Paredes (Nani, 75), Joao Moutinho, Farnerud (Djalo, 45), Romagnoli (Carlos Martins, 45), Alecsandro, Liedson
Yellow Cards: Abel (36)

Goal:
[1-0] Buba, 14
[1-1] Alecsandro, 56
[1-2] Yannick Djalo, 80
[2-2] Buba, 85
[2-3] Liedson, 89
[3-3] Buba, 94