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Second Division - Day 26

Leaders Las Palmas stay in first place overnight at least after a 0-0 draw at Alcorcón on Saturday evening, although they could be off top spot for the first time since mid-November if Valladolid beat Tenerife on Sunday. Aythami went close a couple of times for the visitors before the break and Pastrana responded with a shot which Casto kept out. Javi Jiménez had to save from Ortuño though in the dying minutes to ensure a point for the locals, although Pepe Bordalás’s side have not won now in ten games. Betis are up to second pending Sunday’s fixtures after they beat promotion rivals Girona 2-1 later in the evening. Visiting keeper Becerra had to save from Rubén Castro, N’Diaye and Molinero before the break, but with an hour on the clock he was finally beaten when Jorge Molina picked up Castro’s pass and turned past two defenders before firing in an angled shot. Dani Ceballos got the second with four minutes to go after Molina’s shot came back off the post, and although Alex Granell got one back with an impressive free kick, the goal came too late to change the result.

Leganés keep up their push for a place in the play off spots, and they ended the day just three points off the top six after a 1-2 victory at Racing Santander. Mantovani headed in an Aguirre corner to give the visitors the lead midway through the first half, but Mariano headed the equalizer a few minutes later after Alvaro headed on another corner. With an hour on the clock Granero was sent off for a second bookable offence, but numbers were evened up four minutes later when Erik Morán was also shown a second yellow card for giving away a penalty on Mariano, Serantes saving Javi Soria’s spot kick. Chuli won it for the Madrid based side though after Samuel gave the ball away in injury time, and Samuel himself was also shown a red card for protesting after the final whistle.

Elsewhere Mallorca clocked up their first win under new coach Miguel Soler after beating Osasuna 3-0 on a rainy night in the Iberostar stadium. Xisco opened the scoring with ten minutes to go to the break after Cendrós put him through, and Aranda ran on from midfield to chip Santamaría for the second just two minutes later. Xisco made it three from a Bigas assist midway through the second half, and Vujadinovic felt himself unlucky not to get one back late on when his strike was disallowed for a questionable offside decision. The result takes the Balearic Islanders above their opponents, who are starting to fall apart after accusations of match fixing last season under the previous management. (21.02.15)

Sporting Gijón join Las Palmas at the top of the table after a comfortable 4-1 victory over Mirandés on Sunday evening. Within fifteen minutes the Asturians were already two up, Carlo Castro opening the scoring after Bernardo headed on Carmona’s free kick, and Carmona heading the second himself from Ndi’s cross. Urko Vera got one back for the visitors after Alberto saved from Carnicer in a quick counter-attack at the start of the second half, but with twenty minutes to go Castro beat Razak for a second time with an angled shot. Soon afterwards Mirandés were left with ten men after Carnicer was sent off for a hard tackle on Carmona, and Alex Barreira completed the scoring near the end after Pablo Pérez set him up. Valladolid missed out on a chance to join the top two though after they lost 2-0 at Tenerife. Rubi’s side had to play the last hour with a man short after Jonathan Pereira picked up two bookings in a minute, and Suso gave the Canary Islanders the lead on the hour mark after Cristo Martín put him through. And with eight minutes to go youngster Víctor beat Javi Varas on a quick breakaway to give Raúl Agné’s team a win which takes them out of the relegation zone.

Only five points separate the top five, but sixth placed Zaragoza are now seven points adrift after they were thrashed 4-0 by Alavés. The Maños had taken thirteen points from their last five games, but they found themselves behind midway through the first half when Toti turned the ball past Bono after the keeper failed to hold on to Lanzarote’s cross. With less than a minute gone in the second half Lanzarote made it two from Toti’s cross, and ten minutes later Manu Barreiro headed in another Toti centre for the third. A few minutes after that visiting defender Rico was sent off for a foul on Sangalli, and Toti rounded off a perfect night with the fourth, beating Alcolea (who had replaced the injured Bono) after substitute Sergio Llamas won the ball back. Ponferradina are back to within two points of Zaragoza after they beat Sabadell 3-0. Pablo Infante hit the bar before opening the scoring from an Acorán assist with a quarter of an hour gone, and Acorán rounded Nauzet to score the second with fifteen minutes to go. Marti Crespi was sent off after picking up a second yellow card soon afterwards, and Rubén Sobrino completed the scoring near the end, getting ahead of the keeper to poke Acorán’s pass into the net.

Sabadell stay in bottom spot, still two points below Recreativo, who were beaten 2-1 by Lugo. Lolo Plá gave the Galicians the lead near the end of the first half after Rubén Gálvez saved his penalty kick, and although Menosse headed in a corner to equalize after the interval, Luis Fernández headed a David López free kick past the visiting keeper with four minutes to go for a much needed win. Albacete put aside their financial problems to pick up a point in a 1-1 draw at Numancia which takes them to the brink of escaping the drop zone. Moutinho put the Manchegans ahead in the first minute of the second half after Diego Benito hit the post, but Sergi Enrich levelled it from Vicente’s cross with just under an hour on the clock. And Barcelona B ended the weekend just a point above Albacete in the table after they lost 1-0 at neighbours Llagostera, who move clear of the relegation spots after a third victory in a row. The match was influenced by the high wind, the only goal came in the tenth minute from a long Samu throw-in which keeper Suárez fumbled into his own net after it bounced past everyone. Both teams ended with ten men after Munir and Ríos were sent off for second bookable offences in injury time. (22.02.15)