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Second Division - Day 5

A change in manager at Tenerife, but no change in their poor results as they fell to a 2-0 defeat at Xerez in the Friday night game. Caretaker coach Alfredo Merino saw his side fall behind in the twentieth minute when José Marí headed in a Pablo Redondo cross, and seven minutes later Cordero got the second after a quick passing move with José Marí. The Canary Islanders showed little reaction, and Capi could have scored a third for the Andalusians after the restart. They recorded their third victory in a row, and Tenerife have not picked up a single point in their first five games. Last year both teams were in the first division; on this form, next year they could be two leagues apart. (24.09.10)

Leaders Betis dropped their first points of the season in the first match on Saturday evening, a 2-1 defeat at Albacete leaving them down in second place. Tato opened the scoring for the locals midway through the first half after Antonio López set him up, and a few minutes later López himself hit the post. Shortly before half time Rubén Castro equalised with an angled shot past Keylor Navas, but after Alfredo lobbed a shot against the bar, substitute Cuevas got the winner for the Manchegans with twelve minutes to go.

Rayo Vallecano go marching on though, and they take over top spot after beating Huesca 4-0 later in the evening. Armenteros started things off, scoring directly with an inswinging corner, and Borja García headed the second from Coke's cross just a minute after the restart. The visitors were left with ten men after Corona picked up a second booking with a quarter of an hour left to go, and Coke added a third before Piti finished things off in injury time, following up after Movilla's long shot came back off the crossbar.

Las Palmas are having their best start to a season in a long time, and they missed out on a chance to go second after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Granada. All the action came after the break, Geijó hitting the post for the visitors before David González put the Canary Islanders ahead with a shot from outside of the area. Geijó got himself sent off after picking up a second booking a few minutes later, but even so Carlos Calvo saved a point for the Andalusians with a header from a free kick with twelve minutes left.

Villarreal B are just a point outside of the play-off spots after coming from behind to beat Girona 2-3. The Catalans went two up in the first half, Chechu opening the scoring with a low shot in the first minute, and Despotovic making it two on a quick counter-attack later on. Coría got one back though with a well struck free kick on the stroke of half time, and Airam came on with seven minutes to go to score twice, forcing the first over the line with his chest and then netting the winner in injury time after a poor vlearance by keeper Dani Mallo.

Further down the table Córdoba moved out of the bottom four after beating Cartagena 1-2, their first win of the season. Both of the Andalusians' goals came from corners, Usero heading the first from Arteaga's kick in the eighteenth minute. Toché headed the equaliser from Keko's cross soon afterwards, but Usero restored the lead in a carbon copy of the first goal seven minutes after the interval. Lafuente and Goitia both hit the woodwork for the locals after that, and Cala and Beobide were both sent off for second bookable offences leaving both teams with ten men. (25.09.10)

Valladolid are in fourth spot pending the evening's games after drawing 2-2 at Elche on Sunday lunchtime. Antonio Gómez's side went ahead twice, Javi Guerra getting the first from Nauzet's cross just before half time. Kike Mateo equalised just two minutes after the restart from Palanca's cross, but with ten minutes to go keeper Willy Caballero was sent off after bringing down Oscar González in the area. Jorge Alonso converted the resulting spot kick past makeshift keeper Palanca, but the young forward then came out his goal to cross in for Pelegrín to score the equaliser in the last minute. (26.09.10)

Later in the day Celta beat Gimnàstic 1-0 to move up to third in the table, level on points with Betis. De Lucas ran on to a through ball from Trashorras to chip a shot past Rubén Pérez with only five minutes on the clock, and both players failed to convert further chances before half time. The Catalans had their opportunities as well, Powel heading at Falcón and Gerardo and Morán trying their luck either side of half time, but they couldn't prevent the Galicians from clocking up their fourth win in a row.

Barcelona Athletic are level with Betis and Celta as well after they beat Numancia 1-0. Nolito got the only goal in the twelfth minute, picking up a long ball on the left wing and cutting in to fire a shot past Lafuente. Visiting manager Juan Carlos Unzué was returning to the ground he left last summer to take up his first coaching assignment, and he saw Ibrahima and Barkero bring good saves out of Miño before the break. Mikel Alvaro had a goal ruled out in the second half for a borderline offside, but the locals held on for three points which takes them up to fourth.

Salamanca drop down the table to sixth though after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Alcorcón. Juanjo gave the locals the lead ten minutes before the break, turning in a pass from Kike, and Sarmiento should have made it two shortly after the restart when the locals were awarded a penalty for a foul on Kike. However Manu Herrera saved his spot kick, and five minutes later the home side were left with ten men when Héctor Yuste picked up a second booking. They held on though until the third minute of injury time, when David Sanz headed in Anuarbe's centre, and Sanz could even have won it for the visitors when he headed over a minute later with only the keeper to beat.

Further down the table, Ponferradina and Recreativo stay in the relegation spots after they cancelled each other out in a 1-1 draw. Saizar headed the locals in to the lead from Redondo's cross on the stroke of half time, and things looked grim for the Andalusians when Acuña was sent off with twelve minutes to go after picking up a second yellow card. However with the game already in the fourth minute of injury time Mora headed in the equaliser after Queco Pina could only push out a free kick. (26.09.10)