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Match round-up - Second Division A, Day 17

A change in television scheduling meant that two games kicked off on Sunday lunchtime, Osasuna starting things off with a much needed 2-1 win over Valladolid. The Pamplona based side had dropped into the relegation spots after five matches without a victory, and they were lucky not to go behind right at the start when Bergdich had a strike ruled out by the referee without too much reason. Nekounam opened the scoring though just a couple of minutes later following a corner, and although Oscar latched on to a rebound to equalize with a quarter of an hour gone, the locals went back ahead when Marc Valiente deflected a Roberto Torres cross in to his own net shortly before the break. Nino also had a goal disallowed for a questionable offside soon afterwards, but a red card for Javier Flaño left Osasuna with ten men for the last half hour, and Jan Urban shut up shop for a win which keeps him a job for another week or so at least. Elsewhere Mallorca and Numancia shared the points in a 1-1 draw which left the locals just three points above the drop zone and their opponents still four off the play-off spots. The Soria based side had won their last three games, and they went in front in the eighteenth minute when Vicente beat Cabrero with an angled shot following a good run down the left. Both keepers had saves to make after that, but with the game in the last minute Arana picked up the ball on the left of the area and fired a shot across Munir to save a point for his side.

Later in the evening Girona missed out on a chance to overtake second placed Sporting when they were beaten 2-1 by Zaragoza. The Catalans took the lead on the quarter hour mark when Mata picked up Sandaza’s through ball and ran on to beat Whalley, and before the break Sandaza went close a couple of times and Whalley had to save from Ramalho. However everything fell apart for them in the first fifteen minutes of the second half, especially after Bigas got himself sent off for a second yellow card. Soon afterwards Eldin levelled the scores after Becerra could only block a shot from Borja, and minutes later Borja put the locals in front from the penalty spot after Ramalho handled in the area. The victory takes the Maños up into the play-off spots, just three points behind their opponents in the table, and they have not lost since Popovic took over from Víctor Muñoz three games ago.

Ponferradina drop out of the top six though after they lost 3-1 to Llagostera. All the goals came after the break, the turning point coming when Alberto Aguilar gave away a penalty on Querol. That earned the defender a red card, and Ríos drilled home the resulting spot kick. Pitu added a second with an impressive shot from right of the area, and soon afterwards Imaz shot wide with only the keeper to beat. Almost immediately substitute Acorán got one back for the visitors from the penalty spot after he was brought down by Jorge, but five minutes later Sergio León headed in Querol’s cross to take the Catalans off the bottom of the table. Alcorcón move a point above Ponferradina after a dull 0-0 draw with Tenerife, although they remain outside of the play-off spots, below Zaragoza on goal difference. The Madrid based side had been unbeaten for six games, but an ultra-defensive opponent hardly allowed them a shot at goal all night. An Aitor Sanz header and a Guichón shot in the second half were all either team had to show until the last minute, when a cross from local substitute Bobley Anderson bounced off the crossbar. The result keeps the Canary Islanders two points above the drop zone.

Llagostera’s win means that Albacete and Sabadell now share the last spot in the table. Albacete were beaten 2-1 by Alavés, the Vitoria based side’s first win at home in almost two months. Juli got on the end of a Medina cross to open the scoring in the fifth minute, and soon afterwards he rattled the crossbar with a long shot. Einar turned a Nuñez pass in to his own net just before the break to level the scores, but midway through the second half Ion Vélez headed a Juli cross inside Dorronsoro’s near post to tie up the victory. Later in the evening Sabadell were beaten 1-2 by Leganés, a first away win for the Madrid based team who move three points clear of the relegation spots as a result. Borja Lázaro turned in a cross from the left following a short corner to open the scoring in only the third minute, and Mantovani headed in Aguirre’s long free kick on the half hour mark to put the visitors two up. Hidalgo got one back at the start of the second half with a long shot in off the crossbar , but Serantes and his defence held fast after that for an important win against a direct rival in the battle to avoid the drop. (14.12.14)

Las Palmas extended their lead at the top of the second division after a 2-4 win at Recreativo on Saturday evening. The locals had lost their last three games, and although they had the better of the opening minutes, they went behind when Nauzet beat Dani Sotres with a well struck free kick. Araujo made it two from a Javi Castellano assist, and with less than half an hour gone Vicente Gómez scored the third with a back-heel flick from Nauzet’s cross. Araujo got his second of the evening some ten minutes in to the second half, turning in Culio’s centre from close up after his first shot was saved, and Hernán rattled the upright with an impressive long volley minutes later. The Andalusians did come back later on, Menosse and Rubén Mesa scoring twice following corners, but the goals came too late to change the result. Second placed Sporting Gijón are now three points behind the Canary Islanders after they drew 1-1 at Racing Santander. Almost 5,000 visiting fans made the 200 kilometer journey to Cantabria, and they were rewarded when Pablo Pérez gave them the lead after Carmona and Jony combined to set him up midway through the first half. The visitors continued to dominate after that, but Alvaro hit the post early on in the second half, and soon afterwards Iñaki latched on to a loose ball to head the equalizer. Local keeper Mario had to make saves later on though from Ndi, Castro and Jony to save a draw which extends Sporting’s unbeaten record to seventeen games.

Betis are closing in on the top spots though, and they are now fourth after a 0-1 victory at Lugo. The Galicians had not lost at home all season, and only a couple of early saves by Adán prevented Aganzo and Ferreiro from putting them ahead. Jordi was lucky to be let off a penalty appeal when the ball hit his hand in the area, and only a header wide by Bruno caused any problems for the local defence before the break. However with an hour gone substitute Jorge Molina saw his shot blocked by Víctor Marco with the keeper beaten, and the ball fell to Rubén Castro for him to score what was to prove the winner. A third win in a row for caretaker coach Juan Merino, and with the club still unable to find a replacement for Julio Velázquez, people are starting to ask whether he could be the man to tke them back up. Meanwhile Mirandés moved up to within two points of the play-off spots after they beat Barcelona B 1-3, their fourth win in a row. Eusebio’s side had not won at home in three games, and they went behind on the quarter hour mark when Urko Vera headed in a cross from the left wing. Razak had to save from Sandro, Adama and Halilovic before the break, and from a Grimaldo free kick shortly after, but some eight minutes in to the second half Dongou levelled the scores after Samper nipped in to play the ball across the area after the keeper saved again from Sandro, the first goal he had conceded in five games. Substitute Pedro Martín restored the lead however after picking up a return pass from Igor Martínez soon after coming on, and a few minutes later he crossed in for Vera to poke home the third. (13.12.14)