Hristo Stoichkov got his reign as relegation-threatened Celta Vigo manager off to the perfect start with a 1-0 win over Galician derby rivals Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday.

The victory gives Celta's survival hopes a major boost and lifts them one point clear of the relegation zone with four games left to play.

The former Bulgarian national boss's side went into the game third from bottom and without a win in their last six league games, but a goal just after the hour mark from Fernando Baiano was enough to earn them three crucial points in their fight against the drop.

Levante take the home side's place in the bottom three after going down 1-0 to Champions League-chasing Atletico Madrid.

It was the visitors who were quicker out of the blocks though and Ivan Riki twice had a sight of goal in the opening 15 minutes.

In the 10th minute an inswinging corner from the left by Iago Iglesias picked out Riki 12 yards out, but he directed his header wide of the near post.

Barely two minutes later the striker forced a rountine save out of Celta goalkeeper Jose Pinto with a 25-yard drive.

But struggling Celta knew a single point would be of little use to them at this stage of the season and soon started to carve out some chances of their own.

After 17 minutes a shot from Fabian Canobbio from the right of the area was blocked by Fabricio Coloccini and, from the resulting corner by Canobbio, Pablo Contraras headed just wide when well placed.

After 34 minutes another corner, this time taken from the left by Angel Lopez, again picked out Contreras 12 yards out, but Dudu Aouate in the Deportivo goal was equal to his header.

Aouate was called into action again just two minutes later, clinging on to Gabriel Sebastian Tamas's effort from the edge of the box.

But Deportivo started the second-half as they had begun the first, Joan Verdu testing Pinto with shots from outside the box inside the opening five minutes before Argentinian midfield player Aldo Duscher shot wide of the left hand post when in a promising position 18 yards from goal.

The goal which could go a long way to keeping Celta in the Primera Liga arrived on 61 minutes.

Canobbio swung in a corner from the right and Baiano clinically side-footed the ball into the bottom corner from around the penalty spot.

The visitors piled on the pressure in the closing stages, defender Jorge Andrade going close with a thunderbolt from fully 30 yards and Verdu placing another long range effort over the bar.

But it was Celta who came closest to scoring again, only the post denying Baiano his second of the game from the edge of the six yard box in stoppage time.