Second Division - Day 2

Numancia made it two wins out of two after a last minute 2-3 victory at Girona on Saturday evening. Both teams had won their opening fixtures, but within two minutes the visitors took the lead when Pablo Valcarce (one of two twin brothers in the side) beat Isaac Becerra with an impressive shot. A Mata header and a long shot by Lejeune either side of half time turned the scoreline around, but with seven minutes to go substitute Dani Aquino converted a penalty after Becerra had brought him down, and with the game in injury time Pablo Valcarce headed a long free kick into the net for the winner. With Sunday’s games to go, the Soria based side are the only ones to win both matches, Zaragoza currently in second spot after they beat Almería 3-2. The match followed a similar pattern to the one in Girona, Wilk heading the locals in front with just over half an hour gone. Morcillo levelled it though soon afterwards and Quique gave the visitors the lead on a quick counter-attack after the restart, but midway through the second half Angel volleyed home the equalizer from Jaime’s cross, and in time added on Cabrera headed past Casto to give the Maños the three points.

Lugo are level with Zaragoza on four points after they won 1-0 against Llagostera, Molinero coming on to fire home a spectacular winner with virtually the last kick of the match. The defeat leaves the Catalans at the foot of the table at this early stage of the season. Leganés clocked up their first points of the new campaign after a 3-1 victory against Córdoba, the team who condemned them to relegation some eleven years ago. Eizmendi opened the scoring after a quick passing move midway through the first half, and Borja Lázaro made it two a few minutes later after Alexander Symanowsky set him up. Symanowsky himself scored an individualist third soon after the interval, and although Markovic responded with a well struck free kick, there was no way back for the Andalusians. Elsewhere Albacete and Huesca drew 1-1, a second point for the Manchegans and the first for the newly promoted side. Carlos David turned Santi Jara’s cross into his own net in the twentieth minute to put the locals ahead, but Camacho made it all square soon afterwards. The visiting captain fired a penalty over the bar after Nuñez handled in the area however, and local keeper Juan Carlos had to make a string of saves after that to ensure the result. (29.08.15)

Alavés and Osasuna join Numancia at the top of the second division after both won their respective games on Sunday evening. Alavés were first up, and they beat new boys Oviedo 2-0, both goals coming in the first quarter of an hour. The Vitoria based side took the lead in the fifth minute when Fernández deflected Juli’s shot past Esteban, and Pelegrín made it two after Manu García headed across a corner. The closest the visitors came to scoring was when Pacheco turned an effort from Borja Gómez for a corner midway through the second half, and they ended the weekend in the bottom four, with only a point to their names after their first two games. Osasuna meanwhile won 1-0 against Mirandés, a relieving start for Enrique Martín’s side after escaping relegation on the last day last season. Pucko missed an easy chance for the locals before the break, but the only goal didn’t arrive until ten minutes from the end, Berenguer finding the net after a first shot was blocked. However the away side could still have saved a point had Alex García not fired a shot into the stands late on.

Three teams are just behind the top three on four points, Nàstic going fourth, ahead of Zaragoza and Lugo on goal difference, after coming from behind to beat Tenerife 1-2. All the goals came after the break, Lozano lifting a shot over Reina to open the scoring just three minutes in to the second half. Pablo Mari levelled it though after Rayco played back in a corner, and with six minutes to go Jean Luc (not the one who says “engage!”) headed the winner after Ferrán set him up. As usual though it promises to be another hard fought division, with no less than nine teams having won one and lost one after the first two weekends. That includes Mallorca and Ponferradina, the Balearic Islanders running out 1-0 victors over the León based side in the Iberostar Stadium. Arana got the only goal from the penalty spot after Ignasi Miquel brought down Brandón, but Acuña was sent off for a hard tackle on Casado with an hour on the clock, and only some great stops by new keeper Wellenreuther saved the day for Chapi Ferrer’s team.

Valladolid got their first points on board after beating Alcorcón 2-0, although the goals didn’t come until after visiting defender Chema was sent off for a second bookable offence some ten minutes in to the second half. Juan Villar opened the scoring soon afterwards however, heading in on the far post following a rapid counter-attack, and Villar himself set up Oscar for the second goal with the game coming to an end. Elche also picked up their first win of the season, a 2-1 victory over Bilbao Athletic demonstrating that Rubén Baraja’s new side are starting to gel, despite having been put together with a shoe-string budget in the last few weeks. The visitors went ahead though on the hour mark, Unai López turning Seguin’s cross past Javi Jiménez, but Armando equalized following a corner just two minutes later, and Sergio León wrapped things up with a shot from the edge of the area soon afterwards. That left the youngsters at the bottom of the table, together with Llagostera and Tenerife, on zero points. (30.08.15)