Valladolid moved up to third in the table after a 1-2 win at Elche on Sunday lunchtime. Nicki Bille intercepted a bad pass by Valiente to open the scoring for the locals on the stroke of half time. But ten minutes in to the second half Javi Guerra equalised, and Sisi got the winner on quick breakaway with four minutes to go. The defeat leaves Elche two points away from the play-off spots. Later in the evening Alcoyano and Cartagena drew 2-2, a result which left both teams further down in the drop zone. All the goals came after the break, Alvaro getting the opener for the visitors five minutes after the restart. Braulio chested the ball past Dorronsoro four minutes later to make it two, but Rafa Gómez got one back soon afterwards, and David Torres saved a point for the locals after Devesa set him up with a quarter of an hour to go. (11.03.12)
Deportivo moved back to the top of the table after a 1-2 win at Guadalajara on Saturday evening. The record 8,000 crowd contained 2,000 visiting fans, and they saw their side go ahead when Bruno Gama vollyed past Saizar five minutes before the break. Iván Moreno equalised with a shot from outside of the area twenty minutes in to the second half, but just a few minutes later Riki got on the end of a pass from Alex Bergantiños to score the winner. The top two are now nine points clear of Almería, who hold on to third place despite a 2-2 draw against Recreativo. Goitom put the locals in front with ten minutes to go to the break, but goals either side of half time by Borda and Aitor turned the scoreline around. Ulloa levelled the scores again on the hour mark, but Lucas Alcaraz's side could not find a way past Manu and his defence after that.
With Elche and Valladolid playing on Sunday, only five points separate Almería from eighth placed Alcorcón, who kept alive their hopes of a play-off spot thanks to a 1-0 win over Hércules. Michel hit the post a couple of times for the visitors, but Borja got the winner later in the second half to take Anquela's side to within four points of their opponents in the table. Córdoba leapfrog Hércules, and they are now level on points with Almería after a 3-1 win over Huesca. Airam opened the scoring for the locals midway through the first half, but four minutes after the restart Camacho equalised from the penalty spot after David Prieto was sent off. Numbers were evened up though when Corona was also red carded soon afterwards, and a second goal from Airam and another from Borja García gave the Andalusians the three points.
Las Palmas ended the day in tenth spot after a 1-2 victory at Murcia. The Canary Islanders had not won away in five months, but Vitolo gave them the lead with only eleven minutes on the clock. Emilio Sánchez made it all square twenty minutes later, but Quiroga restored the lead with ten minutes to go to take his side four points clear of their opponents in the table. Sabadell and Barcelona B are now level on points with Murcia after they cancelled each other out in a 0-0 draw. Despite the result it was a lively match, but in the end the two neighbours settled for a point apiece which keeps them safely in mid-table.
The other two Catalan sides are languishing down in the drop zone though, and Gimnàstic stay firmly anchored to the bottom of the table after a 0-1 defeat at the hands of Villarreal B, Mingo scoring the only goal of the match past his own keeper with twenty minutes to go. Girona are still fighting however, and they are just three points away from safety after a 5-3 victory over Xerez. José Marí put the visitors ahead early on, but Mendoza was sent off for a second bookable offence, and late in the first half a Jandro penalty and a strike from Acuña turned the game in Girona's favour. Redondo equalised again on the stroke of half time, but goals after the restart by Yago Fernández, Jandro and Coro put the game beyond the visitors reach. Tébar was sent off after that and Maldonado completed the scoring, but tempers were frayed and Xerez's Capi and Gerard were also red carded after the final whistle. (10.03.12)
Celta moved to the top of the table pending Deportivo's game on Saturday after thrashing Numancia 5-0 on Friday evening. Within fifteen minutes the Galicians were two up, De Lucas setting up Iago Aspas and then Mario Bermejo, and with the veteran winger causing havoc down the right flank, Machin changed his left back Iván Malón with only have an hour gone. Juanjo hit the post for the visitors, but with the first half coming to an end Orellana put Aspas through for him to score his second of the night. A quarter of an hour in to the second half Aspas returned the favour for Orellana to make it four, and with ten minutes to go Toni completed the rout, beating Natxo Zabal after picking up an assist from Bermejo. (09.03.12)