Second Division - Day 33

Leganés are back at the top of the table after a 4-0 victory over Valladolid on Saturday evening! The Madrid based side had not won in four games, but with a quarter of an hour on the clock they took the lead when Guillermo (returning from a long injury lay-off) headed a cross from Omar Ramos past Kepa. A couple of minutes before the break Gabriel made it two after Guillermo crossed in from the wing, and just six minutes after the restart Sastre scored the third with a wide free kick which bounced past everyone in to the net. And with three minutes to go Szymanowski latched on to Gabriel’s chipped pass to complete the scoring and take his team above Alavés pending their match against Tenerife on Sunday. Alcorcón meanwhile are up to fourth after they drew 1-1 at Almería, who themselves move out of the relegation spots after an eighth game in a row without defeat. Local keeper Casto had to save from Campaña and David Rodríguez before Chuli gave them the lead with ten minutes to go to the break. However Pozo equalized with an individualist effort some five minutes later, and Quique could have won it for Gorosito’s team when he hit the bar in the second half.

As ever though it is a close fought fight for the promotion spots, Lugo and Girona cancelling each other out in a 1-1 draw which left the Galicians still a point outside of the top six, and their opponents a point below them in the table. Both goals came late on in the first half, Eloi volleying home a Cristian Herrera corner, and Caballero heading a Jonathan Pereira cross past Becerra. The two keepers had saves to make after the break, but in the end their respective sides had to settle for a share of the points. Mirandés are now level with Lugo after they beat Ponferradina 1-0, Oyarzun scoring the only goal midway through the first half. The visitors did hit the bar after the interval, but they had Ignasi Miguel sent off late on, and they remain five points above the drop zone. Elsewhere the bottom two teams met on Saturday evening, Llagostera coming from behind to beat Bilbao Athletic 2-1. Aketxe put the visitors in front five minutes in to the second half with an angled shot past René from outside of the area. Imaz and Aketxe both hit the woodwork soon afterwards, but with twenty minutes to go Yeyay turned a José Carlos cross in to his own net, and just a minute later Benja battled through to score the winner. The Basque team ended with ten men after Oscar Gil was shown a second yellow card near the end. (09.04.16)

Leganés stay top on goal difference after last week’s leaders Alavés could only draw 2-2 against Tenerife on Sunday evening. Both teams had chances before Nano put the visitors in front after a corner fell to him in the thirteenth minute. Juli won the ball off a defender to level the scores though later in the first half, and Sergio Mora gave the locals the lead following another corner just two minutes in to the second half. Barreiro came close to a third when he hit the bar a few minutes later, but Nano got between Fernando Pacheco and Carpio to save a point for the Canary Islanders with five minutes to go. The top two have opened up a five point gap over the rest however after third placed Nàstic were beaten 2-0 at Huesca. Christian Fernández opened the scoring for the locals early on after the defence failed to clear a cross from Jesús, and Alex González made it two after picking up a long clearance from Jesús to curl a shot past Reina with an hour on the clock. Curiously the game had to be halted for ten minutes or so due to a heavy hailstorm, but when play resumed the nearest anyone came to scoring was when Jean Luc shot wide for the visitors. It was a first defeat in twelve games for the Catalans, and the result takes their hosts back out of the relegation spots.

Oviedo move up to third, ahead of Nàstic on goal difference, after they won 1-0 against Numancia. The Soria based side had the better of the first half, with Alex Alegría testing Miño and Pablo Vlacarce going close. After the restart though Juan Pablo had to save from Hervías, and with twelve minutes to go the visitors had Ripa sent off for a second bookable offence. Soon afterwards Toché got was to prove the only goal after Michel set him up, and numbers were evened up when Susaeta also picked up a second yellow card with five minutes to go. Zaragoza are now fourth after a 2-1 victory over Mallorca in this Sunday’s mid-day kick-off. The Maños had not won in three games, and they found themselves behind when Arana connected with a Company cross to beat Manu Herrera with ten minutes on the clock. However shortly before half time Dorca headed in a free kick to level the scores, and midway through the second half he got his second of the game following a corner. Mallorca had had Alvedaño sent off for a second booking minutes earlier, but even so they almost saved a point when Arana headed against the bar in injury time.

Zaragoza head up a group of four teams on 49 points, including Osasuna and Elche, who drew 0-0 in the last match of the weekend. Despite the result there were chances at both ends, Héctor and Alex Moreno bringing good saves out of local keeper Nauzet either side of half time, Oier heading against the bar after the restart, and Javi Jiménez making a string of stops, in particular from Berenguer, Urko Vera and Nino. Córdoba drop a point below all of the above however after they were beaten 2-3 by struggling Albacete, putting more pressure on coach José Luis Oltra. The Andalusians had lost their last five matches at home, and once again they went behind when Portu beat Razak on a rapid counter-attack with just under half an hour gone. Some ten minutes in to the second half Fidel made it all square from the penalty spot after Adri Gómez handled in the area, and soon afterwards Pineda put Florin through to give the locals the lead. However Portu levelled it again following a corner, and with the game in time added on Pulido got the winner to take César Ferrando’s side to within four points of safety. (10.04.16)