Sporting CP B held to draw in Estádio 25 de Abril

Sporting B were held to a draw by Penafiel this weekend, on Ledman LigaPro matchday 38. The team from Alvalade were actually leading 2-0 at the break, but the hosts battled back to split the points.

Buoyed by a superb performance against Oliveirense, João de Deus' side made a solid start to the encounter and took instant constrol of the action. Shell shocked by the visitors' offensive onslaught, Penafiel broke after just five minutes, when Chaby picked out Ryan Gauld for the Scotsman to tuck away a classy chip.

The early goal did little to slow Sporting down, against a Penafiel side that are on a fantastic run of 13 matches without a single defeat. Domingos Duarte flicked on a corner and Ruben Ribeiro managed to find a yard of space to score his first senior goal, with a shot across the face of the keeper (29’). Penafiel had a couple of chances before the break through Gonçalo Abreu and Kalindi, but Stojkovic never really looked in danger.

The second-half was much of the same, with Sporting B bossing proceedings and Ryan Gauld leading the charge. The young midfielder threatened from a free-kick in the 50th minute and Podence also had a chance four minutes later, before Pedro Ribeiro narrowly escaped a red card after an dangerous high tackle on Francisco Geraldes. It was actually that incident which flipped the game on its head, with the visitors taking advantage of their aggressive streak to peg Sporting B back into their own half and reduce the deficit from the penalty spot in the 65th minute.

Although still leading, Sporting B looked shaken and the encounter's earlier dashes forward from Ryan Gauld, Podence and Francisco Geraldes began to fade away. Penafiel finally drew level in the 76th minute, when Yero made the most of a loose ball in the area to fire a shot past the helpless Stojkovic.