Second Division - Day 13

Mirandés are up to second in the table pending Sunday’s games after a 3-0 victory over Bilbao Athletic on Saturday evening. Lago Junior picked up a pass from Nestor Salinas to open the scoring in the eighteenth minute, and five minutes later the visitors were left with ten men when Undabarrena picked up a second booking for a foul on Sangalli inside the penalty area. Jon Ander saved Nestor’s spot kick, but the ex Bilbao forward knocked in the rebound to put his team two up. And with two minutes to go Carnicer wrapped things up, his strike just enough to take Carlos Terrazas’ side above Zaragoza thanks to the greater number of goals scored. Three other teams are level with Mirandés and Zaragoza on twenty points though, including Alavés, who are now fifth after a 1-0 victory over Girona. Juli got on the end of a Toquero cross to give the locals the lead with just over a quarter of an hour gone, but ten minutes later an over-zealous referee left them a man short when he booked Einar for a second time. With twenty minutes to go Dani Pacheco and then Mata were also sent off for second bookable offences, and Alavés held on for a win which leaves the Catalans just above the bottom four.

Lugo are also on twenty points after they drew 1-1 with Elche. Jonathan Pereira put the Galicians ahead after Javi Jiménez saved from Sergio Marcos on the half hour mark, and Marcos came close to a second when he hit the bar after the break. Local keeper José Juan had to make a couple of important saves though, and with twenty minutes to go Sergio León finally beat him to save a point which keeps Elche just below their hosts in the table. Elsewhere Leganés beat Alcorcón 3-0 in their local derby to move level with their neighbours in midtable, Szymanowski setting up Guillermo for the opener with seven minutes to go to the break, and then scoring the second a minute or so later with a shot into the top corner of the net. Midway through the second half Guillermo got his second of the night after picking up an assist from Víctor Díaz, and Lázaro could have added to the scoreline had his late strike not been ruled out for a questionable offside decision. Tenerife meanwhile are out of the relegation zone after a 1-2 victory at Albacete, a second win in a row for new coach Pep Martí. Aitor Sanz took advantage of a poor clearance by Antoñito to put the Canary Islanders in front early on, and although Paredes levelled it with an individualist effort on the stroke of half time, Suso Santana won it with a shot which Miguel Nuñez turned into his own net with ten minutes to go. (14.11.15)

Osasuna and Córdoba opened up a three point gap over the rest after both picked up points on Sunday. Osasuna are top on goal difference though after they beat Mallorca 2-1 in the last game of the day, their first win in four weeks. All the goals came in the first twenty minutes, Unai García heading in a Roberto Torres cross following a corner to open the scoring, and Oier making it two soon afterwards with a shot which deflected in off Joan Oriol. Coro got one back a few minutes later, but the islanders couldn’t prevent a first defeat in seven games which leaves them back in the drop zone, albeit only six points below third placed Mirandés. Córdoba though drop to second after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Huesca earlier in the evening. The Andalusians dominated the first half, Leo Franco saving from Víctor Pérez and De Tomás, and Pérez hitting the post. Franco picked up an injury though and was replaced by Oscar Whalley at the break, and virtually his first task was to pick the ball out of the net after Fidel beat him with an angled shot. However the visitors came back near the end, Machís scoring with his team’s first real shot at goal with four minutes left on the clock.

Zaragoza missed out on a chance to join the leaders after they lost 0-2 to Valladolid in this Sunday’s mid-day game, and they ended the weekend in fourth spot. The visitors had won their last four matches in the Romareda stadium, and they took the lead with only two minutes gone, Cabrera turning the ball past his own keeper Manu Herrera after Juan Villar headed on a corner. The locals tested Manu’s opposite number Julio before the break (first choice keepers Bono and Kepa were away on international duty), but just a minute in to the second half Manu del Moral made it two from the penalty spot after the referee ruled that Olaortua had fouled Tiba in the area. It was a first defeat for the Maños in eight games, and their opponents move three points clear of the relegation places as a result. Ponferradina meanwhile drop out of the play-off spots after they drew 1-1 at Almería, who took the lead through Lolo Reyes in the second minute after Soriano’s shot was blocked. Yuri made it all square though from the penalty spot after Cuéllar fouled him in the area, and with the teams around them picking up points, the Andalusians remain in bottom spot for another week.

Ponfe are just a point below the top six though, level with Real Oviedo, Gimnàstic Tarragona and Elche after Oviedo beat Nàstic 2-0. The Asturians had not won in three games, but Koné got on the end of a Susaeta cross to open the scoring midway through the first half, and Susaeta himself made it two with a free kick which went in off the post shortly before the interval. Numancia drop a point behind them both though after they lost 2-1 at Llagostera, who started the weekend in joint bottom spot together with Almería. Querol volleyed in the opener from a Ríos cross in the sixth minute, and Pitu made it two with a penalty after Juanma brought down Querol in the area with ten minutes to go to the break. Oscar Díaz got one back though after the restart following a quick counter-attack, and although Juanma was sent off for a second bookable offence, local keeper René had to make a string of saves to ensure the final result. (15.11.15)