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Second Division - Day 2

The second division has all the makings of being one of the best in recent times, with several teams having had recent experience in the top flight. Zaragoza and Osasuna were two of the pr-season favourites, and they ended up cancelling each other out in a 1-1 draw on Saturday evening. The Maños have only just put together their squad though having had to sort out their financial problems first, and they were dominated in the opening minutes, with Nino having a strike ruled out as the referee ruled that the ball had gone out of play in the build up, and Javi Flaño hitting the crossbar. However Pedro headed in a Fernández cross to give the locals the lead, and after the break Alamo and Borja could put them further in front before De las Cuevas combined with Kodro to score an injury time equalizer. Another of the favourites Valladolid suffered a first defeat though, Rubi’s side losing 1-0 at Lugo. Both sides had their chances, but with ten minutes to go a long free kick was only cleared as far as Carlos Pita, who beat Dani Hernández with an impressive shot.

All of that meant that Girona were the only team of those playing on Saturday to win their first two matches, the Catalans coming back from a goal down to beat Alcorcón 1-2. All the goals came after the break, Mayor opening the scoring for the locals with a shot from outside of the area just a minute after the restart. Sandaza cut in from the left wing to level the scores though, and Mata took advantage of a poor back pass to run on and score the second. The visitors had to play the last five minutes with ten men though after substitute Juanlu picked up two bookings in as many minutes. Mirandés stay two points behind Girona in the table after they beat Racing Santander 1-2 in a match which kicked off at 11:00 in the evening. Rúper put the away side in front with a ninth minute penalty after Bernardo handled in the area, and although the Cantabrians hit the woodwork three times before the break, Caneda headed a second from Jordi Pablo’s corner just two minutes in to the second half. Mariano got one back on the hour mark, but it was not enough to prevent a second defeat in a row.

Sabadell also have yet to pick up a point after they were beaten 3-1 by local rivals Barcelona B. Kiko Olivas did head the visitors in to the lead from an early corner, but with ten minutes on the clock he was wrongly sent off, the referee mistaking the perpetrator when Crespi gave away a penalty on Dongou. The striker hit the post with the spot kick, but later in the first half Joan Román converted a second penalty to level the scores, visiting coach Miguel Olmo earning himself a red card for his protests. After the break Dongou made up for his penalty miss with two goals, the first from Patric’s cross and the second after good work by Adama. Elsewhere Tenerife and Albacete got their first points of the season after they drew 1-1. Jorge Díaz opened the scoring for the newly promoted side on the half hour mark with a shot which caught out Jacobo, but Aridane equalized for the Canary Islanders early on in the second half after Guarrotxena charged down Alberto’s attempted clearance. (30.08.14)

Betis and Sporting Gijón join Girona at the top of the second division after both won their second games of the new season on Sunday evening. Despite the intense heat, a crowd of over 30,000 turned up to see Betis beat Numancia 2-1, Rubén Castro getting on the end of Cejudo’s assist to give the Andalusians the lead in only the fourth minute of the match. Visiting keeper Biel Ribas did well to save from Molina and Castro after that, but midway through the first half the Soria based side equalized, Palanca turning the ball past Adán following Isidoro’s long throw-in. Castro won it though for the locals with a 75 th minute penalty after Kader pushed over Rennella in the area, leaving Juan Antonio Anquela’s side without a point in their first two games. Sporting Gijón are also on six points after they won 2-1 against Ponferradina. Both teams had won their opening games, but the visitors had the better of the first half, with Yuri going close a couple of times. Some ten minutes in to the second half however Sergio Alvarez got a touch to turn a Bernardo shot past Moldavan, and almost immediately afterwards Carmona got on the end of Jony’s cross to score a second for the Asturians. Alex Menéndez deflected a cross from the right wing over his own keeper with twenty minutes to go to put Ponfe back in the game, but Abelardo’s young side held fast to ensure the three points.

Elsewhere Mallorca and Las Palmas drew 1-1, a result which left the Canary Islanders in fourth spot at the end of the weekend. Araújo opened the scoring for the visitors in the tenth minute with a shot which took a deflection off Agus, but Martí made it all square on the stroke of half time following a corner. However Araújo rattled the crossbar immediately after the break, and only a string of saves by local keeper Cabrero gave Karpin’s side their first point of the season. As ever though draws are very common in the second division, and Alavés and Recreativo both clocked up their second in a row after their match finished without goals (Recre’s first match also ended 0-0). Manu García and Manu Barreiro had the best chances for the home side after the break, and only a couple of long range efforts by Jesús Vázquez caused any problems for local keeper Manu Fernández.

A first victory ever in the second division for Llagostera, although their fans were unable to watch their 2-0 win over fellow new-boys Leganés as the match had to be played behind closed doors after their appeal against a one game ban from last season was turned down. The Catalans are having to play all their games in nearby Palamós as their own ground was deemed unsuitable for this level (the small-town club having been promoted seven times in the last ten years), and as a further anecdote, amongst the few spectators in the ground were Isabel Tarragó and Victoria Pavón, the only two lady-presidents in the professional divisions. Sergio León headed the locals in front from an Oscar Rico cross on the stroke of half time, and Jordi López wrapped things up with an individualist goal, lifting the ball over a defender before beating Queco Pina with a shot on the turn. (31.08.14)