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Second Division - Day 28

Any doubts that Elche will be a first division club next season must now be gone after Fran Escribà's side beat Recreativo 1-2 on Saturday evening to open up a nineteen points gap over third place pending the rest of the weekend's games. The East coast side had never won in Huelva, but with seven minutes to go to the break Damián Suárez put them ahead with a first time shot after Albácar's cross was headed by a defender in to his path. Alexander levelled the scores three minutes after the restart on a quick counter-attack, Damián deflecting his shot past Manu Herrera, but ten minutes later Coro lobbed Cabrero to restore the lead and extend his team's unbeaten run to sixteen games.

Earlier in the evening Las Palmas and Barcelona B played out a thrilling 3-3 draw, a result which kept Eusebio's side a point ahead of their hosts in the table. Tato picked up Momo's assist to open the scoring for the Canary Islanders in the twentieth minute, and Crisantus had a headed goal incorrectly disallowed a few minutes later. Rafinha headed in Luis Alberto's corner to make it all square on the stroke of half time, and after the break Luis Alberto and Rafinha both hit the post before Deulofeu ran through to score his team's second. With twelve minutes to go though Oier was sent off for a a foul on Tato in the area, and although substitute keeper Bañuz saved Nauzet's spot kick, the midfielder turned the rebound into the net to make it all square. Deulofeu put the visitors back in front however with three minutes to go, his seventeenth goal of the season, but with the game in the fourth minute of injury time Hernán headed in a corner to save a point for his side. (02.03.13)

Alcorcón closed to within a point of second placed Almería pending their game later in the day after beating Huesca 0-1 in their Sunday mid-day kick-off. With teams closing up behind them, the locals really needed to win to avoid dropping back in to the relegation spots. And they held their own in the first half, with Pacheco and Jorge going close and Borja just failing to turn in Pacheco's pass. Babín and Oriol Riera replied for the visitors, and twenty minutes in to the second half Riera got what was to prove the only goal after Rubén Sanz set him up on a quick counter-attack. Jorge D'Alessandro's side felt themselves unlucky not to save a point though when David López had a late strike ruled out for a dubious offside decision.

Almería stay four points clear of Alcórcon though after they beat Hércules 0-2 later in the evening. Visiting keeper Esteban had to make a couple of important saves, especially from half time substitute Javito, but eight minutes in to the second half Charles headed the opener after Marcelo Silva headed a corner back across goal. Pamarot got the ball in the net following a corner only to see it ruled out for a previous foul, and with five minutes to go Charles got his second of the evening after charging down Cabrera's attempted clearance and then poking the ball in to the net after it came back off the post. The defeat leaves Hércules six points away from safety in next to bottom spot.

Girona drop to fourth however after they were thrashed 4-0 by Sporting Gijón. Trejo gave the Asturians the lead in the twentieth minute when he got on the end of Sangoy's through ball to lob a shot over Dani Mallo, and just five minutes later Bilic ran on to a long Cuéllar clearance to round the keeper and score his side's second. The Catalans were left with ten men midway through the second half when Moisés Hurtado picked up a second booking, and Sangoy rattled the crossbar before setting up Carmona and then David Rodríguez for two more in the last ten minutes, the first a looping header and the second a shot on the turn.

Villarreal are finally stringing some good results together after their intermittent season, and they are up to fifth after a 0-2 victory at promotion rivals Córdoba. Juan Carlos had to save from Rennella early on, but soon afterwards Musacchio got above his markers to head a Farinós free kick in to the net. And with the first half coming to a close Jonathan Pereira made it two after a long run, stopping to chip a shot over the head of keeper Alberto. Marcelino's side move ahead of Barcelona B and Sabadell, who were held to a 1-1 draw at Guadalajara. The locals took the lead midway through the first half when Goni turned the ball in to his own net after César headed a long pass across goal, but Lanzarote equalised later in the first half, beating Razak to Hidalgo's headed pass to lob the ball in to the net.

Ponferradina are just two points outside of the play-off spots after a 2-0 victory against Real Madrid Castilla. The home team went ahead with just under half an hour gone when Mosquera got in the way of a Mateos clearance, the ball rebounding in to his own net. And Lafuente made it two with fifteen minutes to go after Mejías could only push out a shot from Mayordomo. Numancia stay four points behind Ponferradina after they beat struggling Racing Santander 2-0. The goals came ten minutes either side of half time, Antonio Tomás opening the scoring after a corner came back out to him, and Natalio forcing home the second with a shot which deflected in off a defender. Quini fired a late penalty for the Cantabrians over the bar, and with the team still four points away from safety coach José Aurelio Gay became the second Racing coach to bite the dust this season.

Mirandés moved out of the bottom four though after a last minute 1-0 win over Lugo. Visiting keeper Yoel was the best man on the park, but he could do nothing to stop a well-struck Rúper free kick in the second minute of injury time. That left bottom club Xerez even further adrift after they were beaten 3-1 by Murcia. The introduction of Saúl on the hour mark by Onésimo swung the game in favour of the locals, the substitute setting up Kike García for the opener with a back-heel pass just a minute after coming on, and then scoring twice himself in a three minute period near the end, the first a lob over keeper Navas, and the second after a long run. Ogbeche got one back for the Andalusians right at the end with a spectacular over-head kick, but it was too late to change the result. (03.03.13)