If you are not a member yet, you can sign up here

Second Division - Day 6

Four games in the second division on Saturday evening, although none involving the top six teams, who are all in action tomorrow. Last weekend’s bottom club Racing Santander are out of the relegation spots altogether pending Sunday’s games after they beat seventh placed Recreativo 3-0. Koné opened the scoring in the first minute with an angled shot in off the far post, only the second goal that the Andalusians had let in all season, and although Joselu hit the post soon afterwards, Iñaki ran on to Concha’s pass to make it two on the half hour mark. Local keeper Mario had to make several key saves after that, but with twenty minutes to go Koné made sure of a first win for the Cantabrians following a set-piece free kick.

Zaragoza are now level with Recre in the table after they beat Llagostera 0-1. Borja Bastón got on the end of a wayward shot by Eldin to open the scoring with half an hour gone, and local keeper René saved a Mario header soon afterwards, and then kept out an Eldin penalty after the forward was brought down by Ruymán after the break. In the end though the Maños were grateful for the final whistle after the Catalans came back later on.

Once again though the second division looks like being a close fought battle, with one point separating eight teams in and around the play-off spots. Lugo are now level with Recre and Zaragoza after a high scoring 4-3 win over Osasuna, who if nothing else are producing entertaining football after winning 6-4 against Mallorca last weekend. Nino put the Pamplona based side ahead in only the second minute, but Iago Díaz equalized two minutes later, and Pavón headed the locals in front with seven minutes to go to the break. Raoul Loe headed in a Torres free kick to level the scores once again before half time, and Nino restored the lead with another header from Javier Flañó’s cross midway through the second half. However Manu converted a hotly disputed penalty after Dalmau fell in the area, and with two minutes to go Maikel put through his own net under pressure from Borja Gómez to hand the Galicians the three points.

The defeat leaves Osasuna a point behind their hosts, level now with Alavés, who beat Sabadell 3-1. Despotovic opened the scoring in the eighth minute after Juli put him through, and Sergio Tejera made it two with a shot on the turn shortly before half time. Crespi hit the bar after the restart, but the visiting defender gave away a penalty for hands a few minutes later which Despotovic converted, Tamudo got one back near the end after controlling a long pass by Aridai, but it was not enough to prevent a fourth defeat of the season which leaves the Catalans back down in next to bottom spot. (27.09.14)

Leaders Las Palmas were beaten 2-1 by neighbours Tenerife in this Sunday’s mid-day game, a first defeat for the Canary Islanders this season. Momo put the visitors ahead with just under a quarter of an hour gone, picking up Araujo’s pass and beating Roberto with a shot from the edge of the area. Aridane headed the equalizer though from a Guarrotxena corner later in the first half, and Cristo Martín got the winner following a Suso assist just two minutes after the restart. It was a morale-boosting win for Tenerife, who climb out of the relegation spots as a result. (28.09.14)

Las Palmas stay in top spot however after Sporting Gijón and Valladolid, the two teams immediately below them, cancelled each other out in a 1-1 draw later in the evening. Neither keeper was particularly troubled in the first half, but after the interval Cuéllar had to keep out Alfaro before Bergdich opened the scoring following a cross from Oscar. Guerrero headed in a Juan Muñiz free kick though with five minutes to go to keep up the Asturians’ unbeaten record. Betis took advantage to move up to fourth, level with Sporting and just a point behind the two leaders, after a 2-0 victory over Mirandés. There were a couple of early scares for the locals, but with half an hour on the clock Rubén Castro opened the scoring after Rennella set him up. And ten minutes in to the second half Castro headed in Casado’s cross for his seventh goal of the season, leaving the visitors down in the relegation spots after a fourth defeat in a row.

Girona drop a point behind Betis after a 2-2 draw at Numancia, although they will be grateful for a point after Jandro headed in a last minute equalizer to save the day. Palanca combined with Sergi Enrich to open the scoring for the locals in the twentieth minute, and he and Braian Rodríguez came close to adding to the lead before the break. Mata made it all square though just two minutes in to the second half after Ramalho’s header was blocked, but with four minutes to go it appeared that Braian had won it for the locals when he picked up an Alex Arias cross before firing a shot past Becerra. Only four points though separate the leaders from Alcorcón, who moved up to eleventh spot after beating South Madrid neighbours Leganés 1-0. It was the first time the two teams had met at this level, but a limping Héctor Verdés won it for the locals when he headed in an Oscar Plano corner with ten minutes to go.

Further down the rankings Mallorca remain firmly anchored at the bottom, although they picked up their second point of the season in a high-scoring 3-3 draw against Barcelona B. Debutant Kasim headed the opener in only the third minute following a corner, but Dongou levelled the scores on the half hour mark after Joan Román set him up, and Cámara gave the visitors the lead after intercepting a bad back pass by Truyols just two minutes later. With the first half in time added on Joao Víctor headed in a Martí corner to make it all square once again, but Grimaldo restored the lead with a well-struck free kick midway through the second half, and only a great save by Cabrero prevented Joan Román from adding a fourth. Kasim got his second of the evening however after controlling a long free kick and beating Ortolá, and Eusebio’s side had to hold on for a point after Robert Costa was sent off for a second bookable offence near the end. (28.09.14)

The top five in the second division are only separated by a point after Ponferradina beat Albacete 1-0 on Monday evening to move up to third. The visitors clearly came to defend, and their keeper Alberto Domínguez only had one save to make from Acorán throughout the first half. However with a minute to go to the break Pablo Infante fired an unstoppable free kick past him to open the scoring, and after the restart Sobrino came close a couple of times to adding to the lead. The result was in doubt though until the final whistle, and the Manchegans could have saved a point had Rubén Cruz not had a late strike ruled out for a dubious offside decision. (29.09.14)