That was a most inopportune spot for a picnic.

Marketed as the first five-star gay hotel in Latin America (but also heterofriendly), the new Axel Hotel Buenos Aires (www.axelhotels.com) confirmed what many gay travelers already knew: the Argentine capital is becoming South America's next party capital.

The visitors had not managed an away win in the top flight since the final day of last season, but Mauro Formica set the tone in the second minute with a rasping 25-yard drive which flew narrowly wide.

However, it should be noted that wherever ministers are opposed to mixed churches, the racial admixture is token.