Eibar are off the top of the table for the first time in nine weeks after losing 1-0 to Zaragoza in Sunday’s mid-day kick-off! The locals started the match just a point above the relegation spots after nine games without a win, and they were lucky not to go behind when the referee ruled out a first half strike by Arruabarrena for a non-existent offside. Visiting keeper Irureta had to save from Roger and Luis García after the break though, and with just over an hour gone García got on the end of Rico’s cross to head home what proved to be the only goal of the game. The Maños did have César Arzo sent off near the end, but it came too late to change the result.
Recreativo are back up to third after they beat Ponferradina 1-0 later in the evening, a first win in six for the Huelva based side. It was not a convincing victory though, Sergi Barjuán’s hardly managing a shot at goal until the stroke of half time, when they were awarded a hotly disputed penalty after Linares fell under a challenge by Alberto Aguilar. After the interval the visitors had the better chances, but an excellent Cabrero pushed a shot from Aguilar onto the crossbar, and then made important saves from Fofo and Yuri later on. Ponfe have only won once in the last nine games though, and the defeat leaves them further down in the drop zone.
Sporting Gijón are down to fifth after they were beaten 1-2 by Córdoba. Pedro headed in a Pinillos cross shortly before half time to put the Andalusians in front, and then added a second with a shot which deflected in off Iván Hernández with twenty minutes to go. Young striker Guerrero got one back for the locals, but it came too late to prevent a much needed win for Albert Ferrer’s side which takes them clear of the danger zone. Tenerife move back to within a point of the Asturians after they won 2-0 against Alavés, who drop to the bottom of the table as a result. Both goals came in the first half hour, Juanjo opening the scoring after Ayoze and Suso combined to set him up, and Ricardo making it two from the penalty spot after the referee ruled that Alex Ortíz had handled in the area.
Although not eligible for promotion, Barcelona B are level with Tenerife after a 3-0 victory against Numancia. Dongou ran on to Ilie’s through ball to give Eusebio’s side the lead some ten minutes in to the second half, and Sandro added a second ten minutes later with an acrobatic shot following a defence splitting pass from Grimaldo. And with four minutes to go Adama ran through to wrap things up, handing the visitors their first defeat away from home in over six months. Lugo are just two points behind Tenerife and Barça B after they won 2-1 against Mallorca, who started the day a point above the Galicians in the table. Riverola fired the islanders in to the lead with a long shot which went in off a defender, but Iago Díaz levelled it on the half hour mark, heading past Rubén Miño after Seoane’s shot came back off the bar. Miño and José Juan both had saves to make after that, but with five minutes left on the clock Rennella headed the winner from a Pablo Sánchez centre.
Mirandés have caught up with Mallorca after they beat Jaén 2-1 in the last match of the evening, a fourth win in five games taking them from the relegation spots to the top half of the table. Jozabed gave the visitors the lead just a minute or so before the break with an angled shot past Prieto after picking up a pass from Kitoko, but Pablo Infante beat René at the second attempt to make it all square some twenty minutes in to the second half, and Díaz de Cerio turned in a Ríos cross six minutes later for the winning goal. Jaén drop to within a point of the bottom four, now one below Hércules, who were held to a 0-0 draw in Alicante by fellow strugglers Girona. The Catalans had the better chances though, particularly in the second half when Aulestia made great saves from Ortuño and Bordás. With a quarter of an hour to go Javi Hervás got himself sent off for a second bookable offence, and with the game in injury time Jandro almost won it for the visitors when his shot came back off the crossbar. The result did however take Girona off the bottom of the table, just above Alavés on goal difference. (06.04.14)
Deportivo are back at the top of the second division after a 0-2 victory at Real Madrid Castilla on Saturday evening. Heavy rain at the start made play difficult, but the Galicians took the lead midway through the first half when Juan Domínguez got behind the defence to head Luisinho’s free kick past Pacheco. Raúl de Tomás missed a couple of chances to level the scores, but with seven minutes to go substitute Ifrán put the result beyond doubt, the striker’s first goal since joining on loan from Real Sociedad this winter. Depor move two points above last week’s leaders Eibar pending their game on Sunday.
The defeat leaves Castilla back down in the bottom four after Alcorcón beat Las Palmas 2-0 later in the evening. The Madrid based side had not won at home since the end of September, but they took an early lead when Babín headed in a third minute corner from captain Rubén Sanz (who was making a record 400 th appearance for the club). The Canary Islanders were left with ten men when Aranda was shown a straight red card for catching Héctor Verdés with a flying elbow, and with an hour on the clock Sergio Mora beat Barbosa with a low shot to wrap things up.
Despite a first loss in seven games, Las Palmas stay in third spot for now, and Murcia join them in the play-off spots after they also won 2-0 against Sabadell. Their first goal came even quicker, Malonga’s shot hitting Carlos Hernández and looping over Nauzet in to the net with less than a minute gone. The visiting keeper made several good saves after that, but with eight minutes to go substitute Edgar got himself sent off for a hard tackle on Toribio, and some five minutes later Truyols headed in Saúl Berjón’s cross to make sure of the three points. (05.04.14)