Second Division - Day 32

Leaders Leganés were beaten 3-0 by Mallorca on Saturday evening, and after four games without a win they could be off the top of the table at the end of the weekend. All the goals came in the second half, Sissoko setting up Colunga for the opener some ten minutes after the interval. It was the striker’s first goal since joining the club in January, but his second came soon afterwards after from the penalty spot, and Ortuño completed the scoring from a quick breakaway with ten minutes to go. Alcorcón and Elche both move up into the play-off spots pending Sunday’s games, the former now fifth after a 1-0 victory over Mirandés. With only a quarter of an hour on the clock visiting keeper was sent off for bringing down David Rodríguez on the edge of the area, the referee pulling play back even though Rodríguez got the ball in the net afterwards. The locals did go in front though with just under an hour gone when Natxo Insa latched on to a loose ball in the area to beat replacement keeper Sergio Pérez, and they held on even though Razvan was also red carded for a second bookable offence with twenty minutes to go.

Elche are up to sixth place, just behind Alcorcón on goal difference, after they beat Zaragoza 2-1. The Maños started the day a point above their hosts in the table, and Guitián headed them in to the lead from a Lanzarote corner in the tenth minute. Ten minutes later however second division top scorer Sergio León levelled the scores after Alvaro played the ball back into the area, and León got the winner from the penalty spot after Manu Herrera brought him down some fifteen minutes in to the second half. Further down the table Ponferradina beat next to bottom club Llagostera 1-0 to move six points clear of the drop zone. Acorán and Fofo went close at either end before the break, and after the restart Santamaría saved from Natalio and Khomchenovskyy hit the bar. However midway through the second half Acorán converted a hotly disputed penalty following a foul by Masó on Melero to give Fabri’s team a much needed three points. (02.04.16)

Alavés are back at the top of the second division after they beat Albacete 0-1 on Sunday evening! A win at Córdoba last weekend put them back on track after a run of six games without taking the three points, and Manu Barreiro connected with a Toquero cross on the hour mark to take his side above Leganés in the table. Earlier in the day there was a festival of goal in Tarragona, Nàstic coming from behind four times to draw 4-4 with Córdoba. Fidel opened the scoring for the Andalusians from the penalty spot in the sixth minute after Mari brought him down in the area, but Aníbal latched on to a return pass from Emaná to equalize some ten minutes later. With three minutes to go to the break Florin Andone got on the end of a Ríos centre to restore the lead, and although Christian Lobato fired home a long shot to level it again almost immediately, Florin put the visitors back in front with an angled shot on the stroke of half time. Midway through the second half Palanca volleyed in his side’s third, and although Florin completed his hat-trick with a diving header from Fidel’s cross, Emaná saved a point for the locals with a second penalty after David was sent off for a second bookable offence. The result keeps Nàstic in third spot, still four points above their opponents in the table.

Córdoba are still fifth, level now on 48 points with three other sides, including Osasuna, who drew 0-0 at Girona. The Catalans had the better of the first half, Nauzet having to save from Mata, and a defender turning Clerc’s cross against his own post. After the restart though Lejeune had to clear off the line from Urko Vera with the keeper beaten, and Roberto Torres got free on goal late on only to see his shot go just wide of the upright. Girona stay three points behind the Pamplona based side in the table, level with Tenerife, who beat Lugo 1-0 to move to within a point of their opponents in the table. Both keepers were in action in the first half, José Juan saving from Nano and Dani Hernández keeping out David Ferreiro. With twenty minutes to go however Suso Santana got on the end of Lozano’s assist to put his team ahead, and the Canary Islanders could have won by a bigger margin had José Juan not made stops from Suso, Nano and Lozano later on.

Valladolid stay just above Tenerife on goal difference after they drew 1-1 at home to Almería. The visitors had gone six games without defeat (albeit that four of those were draws), and they looked on track for a first away victory of the season when Quique headed in a Michel Macedo centre some five minutes after the interval. However with the game already in injury time Juan Villar beat Casto with a long shot to save a point for his side. The result means that Gorosito’s team stay in the bottom four, although they are now level with Huesca, who suffered their fourth defeat in a row after they were beaten 3-2 by Numancia. The Aragón based side levelled the match twice, the first time shortly before the break when Christian Fernández headed in a corner after Regalón had done likewise minutes earlier. Julio Alvarez restored the lead with a well struck free kick, but although Iñigo López was sent off for a second bookable offence, Arruabarrena squared it once again with twenty minutes to go. However Marc Mateu netted again for the locals to take them nine points clear of their opponents in the table. (03.04.16)

Oviedo missed out on a chance to close in on the direct promotion spots after they lost 2-1 at Bilbao Athletic on Monday evening. Toché took advantage of a poor back pass by Yeray to give the Asturians the lead with just over a quarter of an hour on the clock. However Oscar Gil headed the equalizer from an Aketxe free kick with ten minutes to go to the break, and with a quarter of an hour to go Seguín got the winner with a shot which deflected in off José Fernández. Any chance that the visitors had of saving something from this match ended when Verdés was sent off for a second bookable offence, and they end the weekend in fourth spot, still five points below the top two. Athletic meanwhile remain at the bottom of the table, although they close to within one point of Llagostera, and six away from safety. (04.04.16)