By Kunle SHONUGA
Spanish La Liga strugglers Rayo Vallecano grabbed a nervy 1-0 win at Real Valladolid on Saturday to boost their chances of top-flight survival.
The victory seemed uncertain at a time during the game, but Rayo Vallecano had to rely on a late penalty kick save to take all three points.
Midfielder Alvaro Medran gave the Madrid minnows a perfect start by scoring after 29 seconds, finishing off a smart team move from close range.
The goal is the fastest of the season so far in the Spanish La Liga.
Real Valladolid were awarded a penalty kick in the 87th minute but Rayo Vallecano’s Macedonian goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski guessed the right way to palm midfielder Michel’s spot kick away.
The home team are 14th on the table and are without a home league win since October.
Rayo Vallecano, who are second bottom, still had to withstand a series of hurried late attacks from the hosts.
But they held on to claim a second consecutive victory for the first time this season.
The win took them level on 16 points with the two teams above them, Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal, who are both in action later this weekend.
