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Second Division - Day 17

Leaders Elche were held to a 1-1 draw at Barcelona B on Saturday evening, although they increase their lead at the top of the table after their closest rivals Almería lost. It was a battle between the best attack and the best defence in the league, but the locals went ahead in the twentieth minute when Deulofeu converted a penalty after Rivera blocked a cross from the youth international winger with his arm inside the area. Keepers Oier and Manu had saves to make after that, but midway through the second half Damián Suárez won the ball on the right wing and crossed in for Fidel to fire a shot in off the post. A point apiece in the end which takes Elche five points clear at the top, and leaves Eusebio's side in fifth place pending Sunday's games.

Second placed Almería were surprisingly beaten 0-1 by Lugo though, their first defeat this season in the Mediterraneó stadium. The Galicians had not won away since winning promotion last summer, but Esteban had to be on his toes to keep out a Pavón header early on. Charles headed just wide on the half hour mark, and the Brazilian striker brought a good save out of Yoel at the beginning of the second half. But a few minutes later Oscar Díaz scored what was to prove the only goal of the game after Víctor Díaz slid the ball across to him, and Quique Setien's side held on after that for three points which takes them clear of the danger zone.

Las Palmas are up in to the play-off spots after a convincing 4-0 win over Huesca. The Canary Islanders went ahead with a Momo penalty after Alex Pérez fouled Nauzet in the area, and soon after the restart Nauzet scored the second himself after Thievy set him up. Cristantus made it three with a header from a Momo corner, and Momo got the fourth with an angled shot past Luis García after a previous shot from Thievy was blocked.

Huesca's defeat leaves them down in the bottom four after Guadalajara climbed above them on goal difference thanks to a 5-1 victory over Numancia. The home side went two up with less than a quarter of an hour gone after Alvaro Antón picked up Vicente's pass to beat Herrerín, and Antón set up Azkorra for the second a minute later. The two combined for Azkorra to make it three ten minutes in to the second half, and although Cedric got one back from the penalty spot after Alex Ortíz fouled Natalio inside the area, strikes from Antón and Vicente gave a much needed three points to Carlos Terrazas's team.

Later in the evening Sabadell and Murcia played out a 2-2 draw, a result which left the Catalans out of the play-off positions, and their opponents a point behind them in the table. The home side went ahead in only the second minute when Lanzarote ran on to Anibal's pass to beat Javi Jiménez, and they seemed to have things sewed up when Dos Santos picked up a second booking on the half hour mark. However midway through the second half Kike García made it all square after Molinero set him up, and just three minutes later Matilla fired home a penalty after Toni Lao brought down Saúl in the area. Sabadell saved a point in injury time though, Lanza converting a second spot kick after Molinero was sent off for a foul on Dávila. (08.12.12)

Two matches on Sunday lunchtime, both ending in a draw. Hércules started the weekend at the bottom of the table, but they at least overtook Mirandés after drawing 1-1 with Recreativo. Sardinero hit the post for the locals before the break, but soon after the restart they were left with ten men when Juanra was sent off for giving away a penalty on Chuli. Falcón saved Jonathan Valle's spot kick though and a few minutes later Portillo put the ten men ahead after Peña and Mérida combined to set him up, but four minutes after that Jesús Rubio equalised with a shot from the edge of the area to save a point for the Andalusians.

Sporting Gijón stay just two points above the drop zone after they to drew 1-1 at Córdoba. An overzealous referee left both teams a man short with under half an hour gone, Rennella and Mandi both getting sent off for second bookable offences. Pedro gave the locals the lead a few minutes later after Fede Vico's shot came back off the crossbar, and when the Asturians were down to nine men after Barrerra also picked up a second booking early in the second half, it appeared to be all over. However keeper Juan Pablo made some important saves, particularly from Dubarbier and Abel, and with seven minutes to go Canella made it all square, beating Alberto with a shot from the edge of the area. (09.12.12)

Villarreal are back in the promotion race after a 4-0 win over third placed Alcorcón on Sunday evening! After only two wins in their last nine games, the East coast side had lost ground on their rivals, and coach Julio Velázquez was under serious pressure to get a result. Marcos Senna wasted a chance to put the locals ahead before the break when he fired a penalty in to the stands after Manu had fouled Uche in the area, but just four minutes in to the second half Bruno picked up an assist from Cavenaghi to open the scoring. The visitors were left with ten men when Mora picked up a second booking with twenty minutes to go, and Villarreal took advantage to score three more, Bruno setting up Uche for the second, Hernán Pérez making it three with an individualist effort, and Cavenaghi getting the fourth with a back-heel from Javi Venta's cross.

Villarreal close to within a point of their opponents, who themselves were overtaken by Girona after the Catalans won 0-2 at Xerez. Rubí's side had dropped out of the direct promotion spots after two defeats in a row, but within eight minutes they were ahead when Jofre beat Chema with a deflected shot on a quick counter-attack. Both sides had chances after that, but some twenty minutes in to the second half Benja picked up a pass from Felipe Sanchón to score his team's second of the evening. It was a fifth game in a row without a win for the Andalusians, and they drop to within four points of the relegation places as a result.

Ponferradina are up to eighth in the table after a 3-1 win over Mirandés, their fourth victory in a row. The visitors started the game at the bottom of the table after Hércules picked up a point earlier in the day, but within a minute they were already a goal up, Caneda beating Santamaría after Díaz de Cerio headed on a corner. However Alan Baró equalised after Goitia could only block a shot from Iván Moreno around the half hour mark, and second division top scorer Yuri scored two more in the second half, the first with a run from midfield and the second after intercepting a bad pass from a defender, to take his tally for the season to eleven goals.

Two managers got their marching orders this weekend, Huesca's Antonio Calderón and Racing Santander's Fabri, after their teams dropped further in to the relegation zone. Racing suffered their fifth defeat in a row after losing 4-0 to Real Madrid Castilla in the last match on Sunday evening, and with the club in economic and legislative turmoil as well, their future looks bleak at the moment. Jesé was the man who did the damage, the Spanish youth international ending a recent goal drought with two in the first half, the first with an angled shot past Mario, and the second from the penalty spot after Fabinho was brought down in the area. And in the first ten minutes of the second half Denis Chetshev scored two more, both from Jesé assists, to give the youngsters their first win in eight games. (09.12.12)