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Second Division - Day 3

Salamanca will be spending Friday night at the top of the second division after beating Gimnàstic 1-0 this evening to make it seven points from their first three games. Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque was presented with a gold and diamond insignia by the club before kick off, but he saw his local team give away an early penalty when Arbilla fouled Juan. However Biel Ribas saved Navarro's spot kick, and shortly before half time Juanjo beat Rubén Pérez with an angled shot for what was to prove the only goal of the match. Nàstic ended with ten men after Mingo was sent off with two minutes to go. (10.09.10)

Betis continued their good start to the season, a 0-2 victory over Elche keeping up their 100% record in both league and cup. Both sides came in to this match having won their first two league games, and although the visitors had the better of the first half only a couple of good saves by Goitia kept the scores level at the break. Kike Mateo also hit the bar for the locals, but ten minutes after the restart Rubén Castro ran on to lob Caballero and open the scoring. Goitia had to be at his best after that to save from Linares, and the Andalusians were left with ten men when Nacho picked up a second booking, but with the game coming to a close, youngster Beñat wrapped things up for Pepe Mel's side with a well struck free kick.

Rayo Vallecano are hanging on to shirt-tails of their ex coach though, and they too have maximum points from their first three games after beating a struggling Tenerife 1-0. The Canary Islanders clearly came to Vallecas looking for a point, and keeper Sergio Aragoneses had to save from Casado and Armenteros before the break. Armenteros had a goal ruled by the referee as well, and Cobeño wasn't tested until Julio Alvarez finally gave him some work to do with a well struck free kick with ten minutes to go. Five minutes later though Juli picked up a loose ball in the area after Trejo was blocked to score the only goal and leave the visitors further down in the relegation spots.

Tenerife's neighbours Las Palmas are up to third though pending Sunday's games after a convincing 4-1 win over newly promoted Alcorcón. Vitolo set up Guayre to open the scoring early on, and although Cejudo fired a penalty wide later in the first half, Vitolo made it two just a minute after the restart with a long shot. Five minutes later Babín got himself sent off after giving away his second penalty of the evening, and David González converted the spot kick for his side's third. Cejudo finally got his name on the scoresheet a few minutes after that, and Sergio Mora netted a consolation for the Madrid based side with four minutes to go.

Barcelona Athletic's promising start came to an abrupt end when they were thrashed 5-1 by Cartagena. Cala bundled in the first on the quarter hour mark after keeper Olazábal failed to hold on to a high cross, and Toché turned in Botelho's cross for the second midway through the first half. Toni Moral added two more in the opening minutes of the second half, and although Benja got on the end of Nolito's cross to pull one back, Víctor rounded things off in the last minute. With the first team losing against Hércules, this was not the best of days for Barcelona.

It was another high scoring weekend in the second division though, with Villarreal B beating another of the new sides Ponferradina 1-5. Ex Barça and Juventus midfielder Iago Falqué got the first with a strong shot, and Coría made it two with a free kick which bounced past everyone in to the net. After the restart Danish youth international Nicky Bille Nielsen helped himself to two more, and Marcos Gullón scored a fifth before Javi López finally gave the local fans something to cheer about near the end.

Five goals in Vigo as well, where Celta ran out 3-2 winners over Córdoba in the last minute. David Rodríguez turned in a De Lucas cross to open the scoring in the ninth minute, but two goals from Artega and Charles in a three minute period early in the second half turned the scoreline around. Substitute Joan Tomás levelled the scores again after another assist from De Lucas, but Usero hit the post for the Andalusians before the ever-present De Lucas set up the winner for David Rodríguez in the third minute of injury time.

Later in the evening Albacete clocked up their first win of the season after beating Granada 2-1. De la Cuesta got the first somewhat against the run of play after connecting with an Antonio López cross on the quarter hour mark, and Asen headed the second from Miguel Nuñez's centre a few minutes later. Local keeper Keylor Navas had some work to do after that though, and Dani Benítez gave the visiting fans hope of a first point this season when he finally beat Navas with four minutes to go after good work by Tariq. However it was not to be. (11.09.10)

Valladolid moved above Betis and Rayo to the top of the table after an impressive 4-0 win over Recreativo on Sunday lunchtime. The locals went two up early on, Javi Guerra beating Fabricio with an angled shot in the sixth minute and Nauzet setting up Calle for the second just seven minutes later. Kepa went close for the visitors before the break, but Javi Guerra chested Nauzet's cross past the keeper just four minutes after the restart, and Calle turned in Peña's centre with ten minutes to go to complete the rout. The result left the Andalusians at the bottom of the table pending the evening matches.

Later in the day Girona moved up to eighth in the table after beating Huesca 3-1. Peragón scored twice for the locals in the first twenty minutes, the first from Kiko Ratón's cross and the second after Luso and Chechu combined to put him through. And midway through the second half Keko Ratón got on the end of Moha's centre to stroke the ball past Cabrero to tie up the three points. Marco Navas got one back in the last minute with a spectacular volley from Roberto's cross which his brother Jesús would have been proud of, but it came too late to change the result.

A nervous game between Xerez and Numancia, with both looking to pick up their first points of the season. In the end though the locals won it 1-0 to leave Juan Carlos Unzué's team down in the bottom four together with Tenerife, Granada and Recreativo. The only goal of the game came in the twelfth minute, Jaio turning the ball in to his own net trying to clear a cross from veteran forward José Marí. Local keeper Lledó did well to save a shot from the half-way line by Nagore and an effort close up by Ibrahima either side of half time, but in the end the excessive heat took it's toll and chances were few and far between after the restart. (12.09.10)