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Match round-up - Second Division A, Day 22

The second division timetable seems to change each week, and this weekend no less than four games kicked off at mid-day on Sunday. Most involved teams ensconced in the middle of the table, although Córdoba ended the weekend just outside of the play-off spots once again after thrashing Murcia 5-0. Rennella had an early penalty saved before he headed in Abel's corner with just under half an hour gone, and Cristian added the second on the stroke of half time with a shot from the edge of the area. The visitors were left with ten men on the hour mark when Tagliafico picked up a second booking, and two minutes later Pedro made it three after an assist from Dubarbier. Joselu took advantage when Català slipped to score the fourth, and López Silva rounded things off with a looping shot near the end.

Recreativo are back up in to the top half of the table after a 2-0 victory over neighbours Xerez, the result ending their run of five games without a win. Chuli got both the goals for the locals later on in the first half, the first after a defensive mistake and the second after Jonathan Valle put him through, to leave their opponents just outside of the relegation spots having only picked up five points from their last ten matches.

Lugo though drop a point behind Recre after they were beaten 3-0 by bottom club Hércules. Considering that their away shirts clashed with the locals, the referee forced the Galicians to play in their training kit with Hércules numbers hastily stamped on their back. Whether or not that affected them, they went behind when Javito headed in a free kick from fellow new signing Mario Rosas, and Rosas himself scored the second on the stroke of half time after picking up a return pass from Edu Bedía. Oscar Díaz in particular went close a couple of times for the visitors, but Portillo scored a third from another Bedía assist after the break to take the Alicante based side off the bottom of the table.

It was Lugo's first away defeat in five games, and Numancia also slip down the table after they could only draw 1-1 at Sporting Gijón. Cedric set up Natalio to open the scoring for the visitors in the twelfth minute, and although Sangoy hit the bar, the Asturians didn't equalise until Bernardo ran on to a Luis Hernández pass to beat Herrerín with seven minutes to go. Sporting themselves have now gone eight matches without defeat, although six of those have been draws.

Leaders Elche were playing last this weekend, and they maintain their eleven point gap over second place despite only drawing 1-1 at Ponferradina. Fran Escribá's took the lead in only the fourth minute, Etxeita heading in a Corominas cross following a prolonged attack. The locals though got the upper hand on their waterlogged pitch, and Carlos Ruíz and Mayordom both wasting chances before Mayordomo equalised, the referee turning down claims that the forward had handled the ball in the build-up. After the restart Mayordomo fired a shot against the upright, but the visitors held on to take another small step in the direction of the first division.

Earlier in the evening Almería were also held to a 2-2 draw against Barcelona B, although the point was enough for them to return to second spot thanks to defeats for Girona and Alcorcón on Saturday. Deulofeu missed a couple of chances before Lobato fired the visitors in to an early lead, but Jonathan Zongo volleyed home the equaliser on the half hour mark, and Soriano headed against the bar just before the interval. Six minutes after the restart Charles scored a second for the locals after Masip failed to deal with Christian's cross, but Marcelo Silva was sent off for a second bookable offence soon afterwards, and with three minutes to go Verza turned an acrobatic shot in to his own net trying to clear Román's cross.

Further down the table Mirandés moved to within a point of safety after beating fellow strugglers Huesca 0-1. It was a dull game though, the visitors scoring with their first effort at goal when Alain headed a cross past Luis García some ten minutes in to the second half. Jorge D'Alessandro's side came close to levelling it when Borja hit the post near the end, but Mirandés held on for an important win which takes them a point above their hosts in the table. (20.01.13)

Four games on Saturday night in the second division, with second placed Girona falling to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of neighbours Sabadell. Moha got on the end of an Oscar Ramírez cross to open the scoring for the locals midway through a rainy first half, and Antonio Hidalgo scored two more either side of half time, the first after a scramble in the goalmouth, and the second from Dávila's cross. Luso headed one back from a corner a minute later, but soon afterwards Lanzarote scored the goal of the night with a chip over keeper Dani Mallo to take his side up to seventh in the table.

Alcorcón failed to take advantage of Girona's slip-up however, and they stay in fourth place after losing 3-0 to Guadalajara. The locals have been moving away from the danger zone recently after seven games without defeat, and they took the lead shortly before half time when Azkorra headed in a wide Alvaro Antón free kick. Antón himself took advantage of some poor defending to score the second himself at the start of the second half. And local keeper Razak made a couple of important saves before substitute Cristian rounded things off on a quick counter-attack with twelve minutes to go.

All of that could allow Almería to move up to second spot when they play on Sunday, and Las Palmas are now just two points off second spot after a 1-0 victory over Racing Santander. The Canary Islanders dominated from start to finish, Thievy and Crisantus missing chances before Vitolo got on the end of a Dani Castellano cross to score what was to prove the only goal with just under half an hour gone. Lizoain had to keep out Racing's new signing Juanmi soon afterwards, but only a string of saves from visiting keeper Mario prevented the locals from winning by a much bigger margin.

Villarreal though drop out of the play-off spots after they were thrashed 5-0 by Real Madrid Castilla, and new coach Marcelino has a lot of work to do if he is to get his team back up to the first division. The locals had not won in over a month, but Morata returned from first team duty to open the scoring with some neat footwork early on. Borja picked up Cheryshev's pass to make it two on the stroke of half time, and Mosquera got the third with a shot in off the crossbar with twenty minutes to go. Three minutes later Jesé beat Juan Carlos for a fourth time with an angled shot, and soon afterwards Cheryshev completed the scoring after a good run by Quini. Villarreal were nowhere to be seen. (19.01.13)