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Match round-up - Second Division A, Day 32

Another three games on Sunday lunch-time, with leaders Elche taking another small step towards promotion after picking up another point in a 0-0 draw at Racing Santander. Despite their position near the bottom of the table, the locals had the better chances in the first half, Marti Crespi and Andreu going close, and Juanmi and Crespi bringing good saves out of the second division's best keeper, Manu Herrera. After the restart the visiting keeper had more work to do, in particular to keep out Juanmi, and the closest Elche came to scoring was when Crespi almost turned a Xumetra cross in to his own net later on. Not the result the Cantabrians wanted, but even so they are now only two points away from safety.

Almería's promotion campaign is back on track after they won 1-2 at Huesca. Xabi Gracía's team had dropped out of the top two after three defeats in a row, but they took the lead on the half hour mark when Soriano put Aleix Vidal through on a rapid breakaway. After the interval Christian got between keeper Luis García and a defender on the near post to head in a long cross for his side's second, but with twenty minutes to go Pacheco got one back with an impressive shot from outside of the area. The locals put Esteban under pressure after that, and David López was unlucky to see his shot hit the post near the end, but Almería held on for a win which took them back up to second pending Alcorcón's game later in the evening.

Huesca drop down to next to bottom spot, below Racing and Hércules, who are now a point above them after a 1-1 draw against Ponferradina. The visitors needed a win to keep them in touch with the play-off spots, and Yuri swept a corner past Falcón in the fifth minute to give them the lead. Portillo had a strike disallowed at the other end though soon afterwards, and later in the first half Edu Bedía equalised with a first time volley after a David Cortés cross fell to him. The Alicante based side were left with nine men after the break when half time substitute Mario Rosas picked up two bookings and Peña a straight red, but with the game in injury time they could have won it had Santamaría not saved a Braulio penalty after the striker was brought down by Carlos Ruíz.

Alcorcón regained second spot however after they drew 1-1 at Murcia later in the evening. Both teams had chances before Saúl put the locals ahead on the quarter hour mark, beating Manu Fernández after picking up a pass from Matilla. Later in the first half though Juli collected an Angel Sánchez pass to equalise from a tight angle, and the forward could have given the visitors the lead with a quarter of an hour to go had Javi Jiménez not saved his penalty after second half substitute Dani Nieto was brought down by Molinero. Nieto went close a couple of times after that, but Onésimo's side held their ground to put an end to a run of three defeats in a row.

With the teams around them faltering, Villarreal were the big winners of the weekend, a crushing 1-5 victory over Mirandés taking them to within two points of Alcorcón in the table. The locals went ahead first though, Muneta volleying in a Díaz de Cerio cross on a quick counter-attack with just over half an hour gone. However within five minutes Marcelino's team had turned things around, Caneda deflecting Mario's cross in to his own net and Cani chipping a shot back past Goitia for his side's second. Seven minutes after the break Perbet made it three after Gerard Moreno set him up, and Pereira and Perbet added two more in the last ten minutes for the final scoreline, the former with an individualist run, and the latter with a shot whilst lying on the ground.

Villarreal move up to fourth, above Girona on goal difference after the Catalans lost 2-1 to Numancia. The locals had not lost in seven games, and they took the lead in only the second minute when Nagore headed a Julio Alvarez corner on past Dani Mallo. Both keepers had saves to make after that, but two minutes in to the second half Herrerín misread a long cross from José which squeezed inside the near post in to the net. Five minutes after that the Soria based side were left with ten men when Jaio picked up a second yellow card, but a few minutes later Regalón headed another Alvarez corner past Mallo for what was to prove the winner.

Numancia move up to a safe twelfth, and Recreativo are just a point and a place behind them after they beat Barcelona B 2-0, their first win in six games. Barça's Rafinha headed a Kiko Femenía cross against the bar with less than a minute on the clock, but ten minutes later the Andalusians went ahead when Chuli controlled a long cross from Ruymán before cutting back to beat Masip. Berrocal headed a second from Montoro's chipped cross midway through the second half, and although Espinosa hit the bar again in the last minute, the youngsters couldn't prevent a third defeat in a row. (31.03.13)

Las Palmas were the only team in the top six to play on Saturday, but they failed to take advantage after falling to a 0-1 defeat at home to Guadalajara. After a run of six games without a loss, the Canary Islanders had moved up in to the play-off spots, and a season best 24,000 crowd turned out for the game. The visitors though needed points to move clear of the drop zone, and only top class saves by Barbosa prevented Alex Ortíz, Vicente and Alex García from giving the visitors the lead before the break. Three minutes after the restart Juanjo did head in an Alex García cross to open the scoring for Carlos Terrazas's side, and although Razak had to keep out Chrisantus, Thievy and Vitolo after that, the away team held on for a surprise victory.

Later in the evening Córdoba beat Sabadell to move back to within four points of the Canary Islanders in the table. Fuentes put the Andalusians ahead just a minute before half time, beating Nauzet with an angled shot after good work by Caballero, and Fede Vico got the second with twenty minutes to go after the visiting keeper could only push out a header from Xisco. And Xisco himself made it three some four minutes later after López Silva crossed in from the left to hand the Catalans their fourth defeat in a row.

Sporting Gijón and Lugo stay just a point behind Córdoba after both won their respective matches on Saturday. Sporting recorded their third victory in a row after beating Real Madrid Castilla 1-0, Canella heading the only goal shortly before the break after Bernardo headed on Sangoy's corner. Local keeper Cuéllar had to make important saves from Morata and Jesé late on though to ensure the three points. Lugo are level with the Asturians after clocking up a resounding 4-0 win over bottom club Xerez, with new signing Airam helping himself to a hat-trick, including two goals in the first eight minutes. The Tenerife born striker hit the post in between, and then headed in a third midway through the second half from a De Coz cross, and with six minutes to go Galán put through his own net trying to clear a shot from Iago Díaz. (30.03.13)