Second Division - Day 23

Alavés ended the day three points clear at the top of the table despite being held to a 1-1 draw at fifth placed Oviedo in the last match on Saturday evening. A season best 22,600 crowd turned up at the Carlos Tartiere stadium to see their team go ahead in the eleventh minute, Borja Valle beating Fernando Pacheco after Nacho López and David Fernández combined to set him up following a wide free kick. However Toquero connected with a Dani Pacheco cross to level the scores just a minute in to the second half, and although both teams had chances after that, the scoreline remained unmoved. Earlier in the day though Córdoba were beaten 2-3 by Leganés, the Madrid based side moving a point above their hosts to replace them in second place. De Tomás put the Andalusians in front from the penalty spot after Bustinza fouled Florin in the area on the stroke of half time, and although Szymanowski volleyed home the equalizer just a minute into the second half, De Tomás restored the lead with a second penalty after he was brought down in the area. Bustinza was sent off after picking up a second booking in the incident, but with six minutes to go Razak was also red-carded for giving away a third penalty on Rubén Peña. Oltra had already made his three changes however, so Luso had to go in goal, and Omar Ramos took advantage to fire home the spot kick, and then score the winner past the makeshift keeper with a long free kick near the end.

Alcorcón edged back up into the play-off spots pending Sunday’s games after a 0-0 draw against Valladolid in the Santa Domnigo stadium. The two teams came into the game from opposing directions, the locals losing steam after two defeats in a row, and the visitors moving away from the danger zone after two victories. However neither keeper was particularly troubled, and in the end everybody settled for a point. A 0-0 scoreline as well between Llagostera and Lugo, a result which maintained the Catalans in next to bottom spot, and left the visitors still two points behind Alcorcón in the table after their twelfth draw of the season. René had to save from Iriome early on, and Caballero hit the woodwork for the visitors before the break, and in the second half Natalio tested José Juan a couple of times. Otherwise however not a lot to report, except for a red card for Escassi for kicking an opponent right at the end. Goals at least though in the match between Huesca and Albacete, the Aragón based side running out 3-1 winners to climb out of the relegation spots and above their opponents in the table. Strikes either side of half time by Machís put Anquela’s team two up, and although Paredes fired one back, Fran Mérida wrapped things up with a quarter of an hour to go. (30.01.16)

Osasuna missed out on a chance to return to the direct promotion spots after they were thrashed 4-0 by Mirandés in the last match on Sunday. The locals had seen their cup run end against Sevilla midweek, but they went in front with two penalties by Eguaras at the start of the second half, the first after Unai García handled in the area, and the second when Miguel Flaño brought down Alex García in the area, the foul costing the defender a second booking and a red card. Néstor Salinas and Abdón Prats added two more in the last ten minutes, and the visitors were left with nine men when Mikel Merino was also sent off for insulting the referee near the end. Earlier in the evening Nàstic beat Tenerife 2-1 to return to the play-off spots, now just a point behind Osasuna in the table. Achille Emaná headed the opener from a Juan Muñiz free kick on the half hour mark, and soon afterwards the Canary Islanders had Jorge Sáenz sent off for a second bookable offence. Naranjo ran through to make it two before the break, but Omar Ramos got one back with a header from Saúl’s cross at the start of the second half, and Ramos himself could have saved a point when he shot against the upright later on.

Elche are level on points with Nàstic after they won 0-1 at bottom club Bilbao Athletic. Eldin and Espinosa combined to set up Alex Moreno for the opening goal on the hour mark. The youngsters could have levelled it however with ten minutes to go when they were awarded a rigorous penalty for hands by Isidoro, but although Aketxe drilled home a first spot kick, the referee ordered a retake for encroachment which the midfielder fired against the post. And to make matters worse, keeper Remiro was sent off for handling outside of the area with two minutes to go. Elche have now picked up 18 points from their last eight games, but Zaragoza continue to struggle under new coach Lluis Carreras, a 2-1 defeat at Almería in this Sunday’s mid-day game leaving them six points below the play-off positions. All the goals came in the second half, Quique González setting up Chuli to beat Manu Herrera twice in seven minutes around the hour mark. Angel pulled one back however with five minutes to go to set up a nervous finale for the home fans.

Almería moved to within four points of escaping the drop zone, and Mallorca climbed completely out of the bottom four after they beat Ponferradina 0-2 in their Toralín stadium. David Costas and Acuña both hit the bar for the visitors before the break, but the goals didn’t come until the last ten minutes, Pereira getting the first from the penalty spot after Santamaría brought down Brandon, and Andy deflecting a second past his own keeper after Ortuño’s header came back off the post. It was a great result for Mallorca’s new coach Fernando Vázquez, but not so for his opposite number Manolo Díaz, who was fired after his team dropped below their opponents on goal difference. Elsewhere Numancia and Girona remain safely in mid-table after they cancelled each other out in a 1-1 draw. Luis Valcarce put the locals ahead midway through the first half after his brother Pedro set him up, but Lekic saved a point for the Catalans when he scrambled the ball over the line following a long free kick in the ninetieth minute. (31.01.16)