Sporting crash to defeat at Maritimo

(GSM) – Sporting Lisbon cannot be sure of European football after a painful 3-2 defeat by Maritimo in Friday’s only league game.

Fourth-placed Sporting could have created more breathing space for themselves but instead allowed Maritimo to cause them more trouble than expected at Estadio dos Barreiros in Funchal.

Tcho put the home side ahead in the 17th minute and although Joao Pereira equalised in the 36th, Sporting never managed to truly pressurize their opponents.

Instead, an own goal from Florent Sinama-Pongolle restored Martimo’s lead in the 81st minute and Claudio Pitbull made it 3-1 nine minutes later.

The guests were given a penalty in added time, allowing Sinama-Pongolle to make up for his own goal, but it was too little, too late for the Lisbon outfit.

On Saturday, fifth-placed Vitoria Guimaraes host Academica in a match that could allow them to reduce the gap with Sporting to just two points.