Spanish Primera Division: Deportivo 1 Villarreal 1

Deportivo La Coruna and Villarreal played out a 1-1 draw on Saturday night, with the visitors the happier of the two with the outcome.

Deportivo remain in the bottom three, though, and this point - earned by Celso Borges equaliser - puts them a point closer to safety but they will consider this two points dropped in their bid to stay up.

Desperate for the victory, Depor started the brighter of the sides and registered the first serious effort when Oriol Riera cut in and fizzed in a strike that was rebuffed by Juan Carlos.

Villarreal responded with a right-footed drive from Tomas Pina that was charged down, and then Mario Gaspar befell the same outcome.

Depor returned to the front foot and Riera's flick-on fell to Luisinho but he could not keep his effort on target, while Juanfran was also errant with a strike from the edge of the box.

After a relatively sedate first half the game sprung into life shortly after the break as Villarreal opened the scoring.

Forty-eight minutes were on the clock when Costa took aim from the edge of the area, beating Fabricio and putting the visitors ahead.

It would be a short-lived lead, though. Just two minutes later Depor went down the other end and Borges slammed in an 18-yarder of his own to level things up.

Villarreal hunted a second and Luciano Vietto had a drive kept out, while Lucas Perez was denied for the home side.

But when Vietto was off target again with seconds remaining, that proved to be the end of the action.