Second Division - Day 27

Bad weather affected the second division programme this weekend, with the Saturday game between Huesca and Mallorca called off due to a waterlogged pitch following a heavy snow storm. All the other fixtures did go ahead though, Osasuna returning to third place after a 0-1 victory at Córdoba in the last match of the evening. Pedro Ríos hit the bar for the locals early on, but Razak had to make several saves, and Roberto Torres hit the post before Berenguer got the winner with the game already in the second minute of injury time. The result takes the Pamplona based side above their hosts on goal difference, and Alcorcón are up to seventh after they drew 1-1 at Numancia earlier in the evening. It was typical game of two halves, the locals dominating the first and scoring through Alex Alegría with just under a quarter of an hour gone. The visitors came back after the break however, and with the snow falling Callens turned a Fede Vega cross past his own keeper, the Soria based side having to settle for their fourteenth draw of the season.

Further down the table Bilbao Athletic moved off the foot of the pile after they beat Ponferradina 4-2. The hero of the night was Aketxe, who had dropped down from the first team in January to help the youngsters get back on track. The young midfielder scored twice in the first half hour, and although Acorán got one back before the break, Santamaría restored the two goal cushion soon after the restart. With twenty minutes to go Melero scored a second for the visitors, but soon afterwards Aketxe completed his hat-trick to put the game beyond Ponfe’s reach. They themselves end the day in sixteenth spot, just two points above the drop zone, and with a five point gap opening up above them, the four relegation spots look like being decided by those seven teams. Llagostera are looking doomed though after they lost 0-1 to neighbours Girona, and they drop below Athletic B on goal difference, now six points away from safety. Alex Granell scored the winner for the visitors from the penalty spot after Mata was fouled in the area with five minutes to go, and despite a poor start to the season they already look safe after seven matches without defeat. (27.02.16)

Leganés top the second division for the first time in their history after a 2-0 victory over last week’s leaders Alavés on Sunday lunchtime! A packed Butarque stadium saw Rubén Peña combine with César Soriano top open the scoring in the seventeenth minute, and only a good save by Fernando Pacheco prevented the Madrid based side from going further ahead before the break. The visitors did have a couple of chances after the restart, but with five minutes to go Pelegrín was sent off for a second bookable offence, and three minutes later Lázaro connected with another Soriano assist to wrap things up. Oviedo are now just two points below Alavés after they beat Elche 3-0 later in the evening, a twelfth game in a row without defeat for the Asturians. Susaeta hit the bar for the locals before the break, but the goals didn’t come until the last quarter of an hour, substitute Koné beating Javi Jiménez soon after coming on. The striker had a hand in his side’s second when José Angel put through his own net, and Susaeta set up Hervías for the third right at the end.

Nàstic end the weekend in fourth spot, above Osasuna and Córdoba on goal difference, after a 1-1 draw against Valladolid. The Catalans went in front midway through the first half when Aníbal put Emaná through for him to beat Kepa, but just two minutes later Rennella levelled it on a quick counter attack. Naranjo and Roger could have scored at either end after that, but in the end both coaches settled for a draw which extends Valladolid’s unbeaten run to eight matches. Meanwhile Zaragoza are closing back up on the top six, a 3-1 victory over Lugo taking them just two points below the play-off spots. Again the goals came late on, Ferreiro taking advantage of a poor clearance by Manu Herrera to give the lead to the visitors, who were under new management after Luis Milla resigned midweek. Just a minute later though Fernando Seoane was sent off after picking up a second booking, and in the last seven minutes Angel, Lanzarote and Dongou all found the net to turn the scoreline around. Lugo drop to fourteenth, and to make matters worse they also had Cendrós sent off in injury time.

Almería continued their attempt to escape the drop zone under coach Gorrosito, and they moved to within a point of safety after a 1-0 victory over fellow strugglers Albacete. Chuli hit the bar in the second half, but it was not until the third minute of time added on that Pozo found the net to take his team level with their opponents in the table. Tenerife are gradually moving clear of the danger zone though, and they are now ten points above the bottom four after a 1-2 win at Mirandés, their second victory in a row. Nano scored early on in the first and second halves to put the Canary Islanders two up, both from Suso’s assists. However Eguaras got one back from the penalty spot with ten minutes to go, and the visitors had to hold off a late onslaught to ensure the three points. (28.02.16)

Mallorca move out of the relegation spots after a 1-2 victory at Huesca in a match rescheduled from week 27. The islanders took advantage of a strong favourable wind to go two up in the first twenty minutes, Sissoko heading in a corner, and Joan Oriol beating Oscar Whalley with an angled shot. Local coach Juan Antonio Anquela made two changes before the break, and one of his substitutes Samu Saíz got one back with a long shot in injury time. However the final whistle went soon afterwards, leaving the two teams level on 33 points, now three above the drop zone. (16.03.16)