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Second Division - Day 37

Girona kept up their push for a first ever promotion to the top flight, a 2-4 win over neighbours Barcelona B on Saturday evening taking them to within a point of leaders Betis pending their game on Sunday. Pablo Machín’s side went behind early on when Sandro fired a long shot in off the crossbar. But goals by Mata and Eloi either side of half time turned the scoreline around, the first with an angled shot after after Samper gave the ball away, and the second with a low strike after the defence only partially cleared a cross from the left wing. Grimaldo hit the bar soon afterwards with a wide free kick, but minutes later Sandaza made it three, follwing up after his first header from a Cifuentes cross came back off the post. Adama reduced the gap again, cutting in past his marker to clip a shot past Becerra, but with the game coming to an end Cifuentes wrapped things up after Suárez could only push out a shot from Felipe Sanchón.

Sporting Gijón stay just two points behind Girona though after they beat Lugo 1-2 later in the evening. Guerrero got on the end of Jony’s cross to open the scoring in the tenth minute, and the striker added a second a quarter of an hour later after Bernardo headed over a centre from Alex Menéndez. Isma López had a third goal ruled out for a questionable offside before the break, but the Asturians were let off the hook when Cuéllar saved a Manu penalty after Luis Hernández fouled Pablo Caballero some twenty minutes in to the second half, and there were some nervous moments for the 3,000 or so travelling fans after Caballero controlled a Luis Fernández pass to get one back with ten minutes to go. Valladolid meanwhile are back up to fourth after they beat bottom club Recreativo 0-3. All the goals came before the break, Roger starting things off after Oscar González set him up with a back-heel pass. Just three minutes later Oscar himself made it two after controlling Alvaro Rubio’s cross on his chest and firing a scissors kick past Dani Sotres, and Peña got the third after Sotres could only block a shot from Roger.

Las Palmas though drop to fifth, a point behind Valladolid in the table, after a 2-1 defeat at Leganés. Both teams had chances in the first half, Chuli bringing a good save out of Casto and Roque shooting just wide in reply. Sergio Prendes got on the end of César Soriano’s cross to put the home side in front early on in the second half, but David Simón levelled the scores soon afterwards after Serantes could only push out Araujo’s overhead kick, and Jonathan Viera could have given the Canary Islanders the lead had his shot not come back off the post. In the end though Chuli got the winner with a low shot past Casto to ensure another year of second division football for his side. Leganés are now just three points off the play-off spots, level on points with their neighbours Alcorcón, who beat Sabadell 0-1 in the Nova Creu Alta stadium. Djené got the only goal for the visitors after Nauzet blocked Nagore’s header following a corner with three minutes to go to the break. The local keeper had to save from Mora after the restart, but Marcos could have saved a point for the Catalans had he been able to find the target after Aníbal set him up in injury time. (09.05.15)

Betis stay four points clear at the top of the second division after a 1-2 victory at Mallorca in this Sunday’s mid-day match. Once again Rubén Castro was the star for the Andalusians, the striker picking up return pass from Jorge Molina to cut in and beat Cabrero with an angled shot on the quarter hour mark (his 26 th of the season), and then crossing in for Molina to score the second with just over half an hour gone. Xisco got one back though just three minutes later after Joselu set him up, the referee waving away appeals for offside, and after the restart the islanders came close to equalizing, in particular when Asensio hit the crossbar with a quarter of an hour left on the clock.

Later in the evening Zaragoza consolidated sixth spot with a 3-1 win over Albacete. The Maños were celebrating the 20 th anniversary of their European Cupwinners Cup victory over Arsenal (Nayim from the halfway line…), and within three minutes they went ahead, Borja converting a hotly disputed penalty after Dorronsoro brought down the striker in the area. Jaime added a second a quarter of an hour later with an individualist effort, and although Rubén Cruz got one back from the penalty spot after Vallejo fouled Edu Ramos in the area some eighteen minutes in to the second half, Fernández restored the two goal cushion a minute later with a shot which took a deflection off Nuñez.

Zaragoza’s closest rivals Ponferradina were beaten 2-1 by Alavés later in the evening, the Vitoria based side moving to within three points of their opponents as a result. Alberto López’s team had lost their last three matches, but with eighteen minutes gone Toti and Rafa García combined to set up Manu Barreira for the opener. Acorán intercepted a poor pass from Goitia to Jarosik to level the scores some ten minutes later, but with five minutes to go Laguardia latched on to a loose ball in the area to score the winner. Llagostera are now just two points behind Ponfe after they drew 0-0 at home to Numancia, their fourteenth game in a row wityhout defeat. The Catalans had the better chances throughout, with Juanjo in particular hitting the bar in the first half, but Anquela’s side held on to remain a point behind their hosts in the table.

Further down the table Osasuna moved out of the relegation spots after a 2-0 victory over Mirandés. New coach Enrique Martín missed the match after he was taken to hospital for tests on Friday with angina, but his team took the lead in only the second minute when Nino headed in a cross from Javier Flaño. Urko Vera in particular caused some problems for the local defence after that, but with ten minutes to go Hervías (recently signed on loan from Real Sociedad) fired home the second after Nino’s shot came back off the crossbar. Racing Santander stay a point behind the Pamplona based side though after they won 1-0 against Tenerife. Sylla got the only goal from the penalty spot on the half hour mark after Arnáez brought down Iñaki in the area to take his team to within two points of the Canary Islanders in the rankings. (10.05.15)