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Second Division - Day 20

Betis are up to third pending Sunday’s games after a 3-1 victory over Tenerife on Saturday evening. The visitors lost keeper Carlos Abad to a serious knee injury with half an hour gone, and his replacement Roberto made saves from Jorge Molina and Rubén Castro before giving away a penalty on Molina which Castro converted on the stroke of half time. Ifrán made it all square early on in the second half, the ex Real Sociedad striker controlling Víctor’s free kick before back-heeling the ball into the net, the first goal that Adán had let in for over 500 minutes. However Castro restored the lead a few minutes later after Molina set him up, and after Carlos Ruíz was sent off for a second bookable offence, Castro returned the favour for Molina to score the third with ten minutes to go. Betis are now two points clear of Girona, who drop to fifth after they were held to a 0-0 draw by Mallorca. Despite the result both keepers had work to do, Becerra tipping a Cendrós header over the bar and Cabrero saving from Mata. After the break Agus and Pereira missed chances for the visitors and Lejeune and Ricky went close for the Catalans, but in the end both coaches settled for a point.

Earlier in the evening bottom club Albacete clocked up a much needed 3-0 win over Lugo which takes them level with Sabadell and Racing in the table. The Manchegans had lost their last three games, but they took the lead with just over a minute gone when Seoane turned an Edu Ramos cross into his own net. The Galicians had the better of the play after that, but with a quarter of an hour to go César Díaz scored the second on a quick counter-attack following a Keko assist, and with the game coming to an end César scored his second of the evening from the penalty spot after Lolo Pavón handled in the area. Barcelona B are now just two points above the bottom three after they were beaten 2-0 by Leganés, Eusebio’s side only having won two of their last sixteen games. Velasco put the Madrid based side ahead on the half hour mark after Ortolà saved from Soriano, and Eraso made it two at the start of the second half after Fran Moreno’s header came back off the bar. Recreativo are only a point above Barça B though after they drew 1-1 against a depleted Osasuna side. The Andalusians are in free-fall after six defeats in a row, and although Jesús Vázquez converted a penalty early on in the second half after Sisi fouled Pedro Ríos, Nino saved a point for the visitors after Merino headed on a long free kick a few minutes later. (10.01.15)

An extraordinary match on Sunday lunchtime, leaders Las Palmas running out 5-3 winners against Zaragoza despite ending the game with eight men! Araujo opened the scoring for the Canary Islanders in the tenth minute, controlling David Simón’s cross before volleying a shot past Bono, but Pedro equalized five minutes later after Borja played Lolo’s free kick to him. The hosts scored three more in the first quarter hour of the second half though, Nauzet volleying a shot in off the post then setting up Marcelo Silva and Araujo for two more. However with twenty minutes to go the game errupted, Nauzet getting sent off for a retaliatory kick on Lolo off the ball, and in the ensuing fracas Angel and the visiting goalkeeping coach Insausti being shown red cards after they came to blows, and Culio also getting his marching orders for insulting Insausti as he walked down the tunnel. The Maños took advantage to get one back through Willian José, but straight from the kick off Roque restored the three goal cushion from Hernán’s centre, and another goal by Willian José in injury time came too late to change the result.

Later in the evening Sporting Gijón were held to a 2-2 draw at struggling Sabadell, and although they maintain their unbeaten record this season, they were knocked off second spot by Valladolid. The Asturians went ahead in the seventh minute, Guerrero beating Nauzet after Pablo Pérez won the ball off Cristian García, and a quarter of an hour later Pérez headed the second from Isma López’s cross. Collantes turned in a centre from the left with five minutes to go to the break though to close the gap, and after Ndi had a clear penalty appeal turned down, substitute Javi Hervás volleyed home an impressive equalizer with ten minutes to go. Valladolid move above Sporting on goal difference though after they beat Alavés 2-0, a third win in a row for Rubi’s side. New signing Jonathan Pereira went close before Mojica laid the ball back for Alvaro Rubio to open the scoring on the quarter hour mark, the midfielder’s first goal in six years. Despotovic headed against the bar after the interval, but with fifteen minutes to go Sastre and Oscar combined to set up Mojica for the second.

Ponferradina hold on to sixth place despite drawing 1-1 with Racing Santander, although they are now five points adrift of fifth placed Girona. Andy ran on to Yuri’s through ball to put the locals in front with just under an hour gone, and Pablo Infante missed a chance to wrap things up in injury time. However a minute later Mariano headed a Borja Granero cross past Kepa to save a draw, which takes the Cantabrians level with Sabadell and Llagostera and a point above bottom club Albacete. Llagostera themselves were beaten 1-0 by Mirandés, who are now level on points with Ponferradina after a ninth game in a row without defeat. Local striker Sergio León had a first half goal ruled out for a borderline offside, but with seven minutes to go Pedro Martín got on the end of a wayward shot by Igor Martínez to turn the ball past René. Alcorcón drop two points behind Ponfe and Mirandés after they were held to a 2-2 draw at Numancia earlier in the day. Oscar Plano put David Rodríguez through to open the scoring for the Madrid based side in the seventeenth minute, but Juanma got on the end of a Julio Alvarez free kick to make it all square a few minutes later, and Alvarez put the locals ahead from another free kick after the restart. The veteran midfielder gave away a penalty on Escassi however with two minutes to go, and David Rodríguez stepped up to fire home his second of the match. (11.01.15)