Real Sociedad 1-1 Getafe: EL GETA NO BAJA!

0-1 Cata Díaz 9'

1-1 Paco Sutil 65'

Getafe avoid away defeat for the first time in six attempts...

... Cata Díaz's early header the highlight of a dull match - oh, and Getafe stay up...

A stalemate so dull it could have been scripted resulted in a 1-1 draw at Anoeta between Real Sociedad and Getafe, an outcome ensuring that both sides retain their Primera División status.

Deportivo La Coruña drop to the second level instead after a 2-0 home defeat to Valencia, while the Azulones also finish above Mallorca on head-to-head.

Heading into the game neither side was safe from relegation, but Real Sociedad were definitely the more secure of the two. That changed after just nine minutes when Cata Díaz headed home a Juan Ángel Albín free-kick to give the visitors the lead.

La Real were the better side afterwards, and although news had filtered through that both Deportivo and Mallorca were in deep trouble they pushed hard in search of an equaliser.

That came via the head of substitute Paco Sutil, who took advantage of Xabi Prieto's trademark dead-ball delivery to level the scores from close range.

From then on, it was a passing drill. Neither side saw the need to punish the other, nor risk anything by committing men forward, if both were safe. Thus scenes of Gijón 1982 followed as centre-backs passed to full-backs, and back around again.

At full-time Anoeta immediately erupted in celebration. Getafe, knowing how close these things can be, still had some waiting to do: both Mallorca and Deportivo were still playing. The second full-time sounded at San Moix, though, the Geta players rushed to the tiny visiting support - a rare show of unity after a dreadful six months - to celebrate yet another improbable survival.

-----

And that ends the season. I'll be here over the summer bringing you the gossip and transfer news, but as far as competitive action goes, we have some time to wait. It's been a pleasure writing these reports - even amidst the worst moments - and I eagerly await another 38 of them next year as Getafe once more seek to prove that they are, quite simply, too big to go down.

Real Sociedad: Bravo; Carlos Martínez, Mikel González, Demidov, De la Bella; Diego Rivas (Elustondo 85), Aranburu; Xabi Prieto, Zurutuza (Paco Sutil 47), Griezmann (Bergara 69); Tamudo. Getafe: Ustari; Miguel Torres, Cata Díaz, Mario (Mané 46), Iván Marcano; Víctor Sánchez, Boateng; Pedro Ríos, Albín (Parejo 71), Manu del Moral (Casquero 82); Miku.