Pontevedra, Racing Ferrol and Gimnastic Tarragona were promoted to the second division after topping their respective play-off groups on the last day of the season. The three group winners will join group A champions Lleida, who were already sure of promotion last week and who ended their group games unbeaten after drawing 1-1 at Celta B. Jorge Rodríguez put the locals ahead in the twentieth minute, but the Catalans were awarded a penalty on the stroke of half time which Verde converted. The visitors played the last twenty minutes with ten men after Chupi was shown a second yellow card.

Earlier in the day Cultural Leonesa beat Pájara Playas 2-3 to end the mini-league a point behind Lleida. The León based side went ahead early on with a long shot from Mario, but Ciani took advantage of a defensive mistake to equalise later in the first half. Goals from Fran and Paulino after the restart gave the visitors an unassailable lead though before Oscar got a late consolation for the locals. Pájara now face an uncertain future, the Canary Islanders struggling financially and in danger of being relegated to the regional third division if they can not settle several months' back wages before the end of next month.

Three goals in the second half gave Pontevedra a 3-0 win over Lorca in their group B match, taking them up to the second division for the first time in 28 years. The visitors started the match with an outside possibility of promotion though, and they gave their opponents a hard time before Xaco put his side ahead ten minutes in to the second half after picking up a long ball from Juan Jesús. The Murcia based team could have equalised had they not had a goal disallowed for offside, but Javi Rodríguez scored twice in two minutes, the first from Salcedo's cross and the second on a quick breakaway, to wrap up the match. The Galicians ended with ten men after Fede Bahón was sent off, but it didn't matter and the jubilant fans invaded the pitch at the end.

Badajoz also had a chance of going up after their late run took them up to second in the min-league, but they fell to a disappointing 2-1 defeat at the hands of Mirandés and will now have to spend their centenary year in the second division B. The locals went in front midway through the first half when Gallo controlled Lasarte's cross before scoring, and Iván Agustín made it two with a well struck free kick after the break. The Extremadurans got back in the game when Dani Mayo put through his own net trying to pass back to keeper Tito, and local midfielder Xavi Moro was shown the red card a minute later. But by then Pontevedra were well ahead, and there was little they could do.

Pontevedra will be joined by fellow Galicians Racing Ferrol, who returned after only one year away despite losing 1-0 against Atlético Madrid B. The result left group C virtually all square, all four sides having won as many as they lost, although Racing scraped through by virtue of their three wins, which gave them a point more than their opponents. Racing were the better side but could not convert their chances, efforts by Bermejo and Sueiro being stopped by keeper Lledó, and with ten minutes to go Atlético Raúl Medina scored the only goal from the penalty spot after Barbarín fouled Mané in a rare attack from the home side. The 1,500 or so travelling fans spent the last nervous few minutes with their ears to the radio before they could confirm their promotion.

Sevilla B missed their opportunity to overtake Ferrol after losing 2-1 at Castellón. A point would have been enough to take them up for the first time in 40 years or so, but they fell behind shortly before the interval when Pep Mora headed the ball over keeper Javi Muñoz. Marcos made it two midway through the second half when he headed home a corner, Kepa pulled one back, again with a header, two minutes from time to set up a nail-biting end. But local keeper Oliva, who had been superb all night, pulled out a last second save from Kepa to deny his opponents the point they needed.

It was a close run thing in group D too, with Gimnastic Tarragona going up after beating Ourense 2-0 to stay a point ahead of Real Madrid B. The visitors were also in with a chance, but the Catalans went in front with only seven minutes on the clock, the "two towers" Diego Torres and Jonathan Torres combining for the former to set up the latter to whip the ball over the keeper. Abel Buades could have made it two on the stroke of half time when his free kick hit the post, but the twin strikers struck again after the break, this time Jonathan setting up Diego for him to beat Dani Roiz and send the 12,000 or so fans mad.

Real Madrid B ended the day a point away from promotion, their 1-3 victory at Lanzarote not enough in the end. Under 21 international Soldado was the star of the night, scoring the opening goal from a Trashorras pass before half time and adding a second with a volley from Riki's cross before completing his hat-trick later in the second half with a lob over the keeper. By then though Nàstic were two up, and Pepe Parrado headed one back as the visitors lost their momentum. This could be the last match for many of the Madrid side, as their failure to go up means that a new crop of youngsters will be taking their place next season. (27.06.04)