Second Division - Day 34

Joint leaders Alavés lost 1-0 at Girona on Saturday evening, a second defeat in a row for Pepe Bordalás’ side. Lekic scored the only goal of the game for the Catalans after Pere Pons set him up midway through the first half, but Becerra had to make a string of saves to keep his side in front, and Lejeune cleared off the line from Juli with the keeper beaten early on in the second half. The top two are still five points clear though pending Sunday’s games, Zaragoza joining the chasing pack after a 1-2 victory at Valladolid. Juan Villar headed against the woodwork for the locals in the opening minutes, but soon afterwards Lanzarote got on the end of a Diego Rico cross to put the visitors in front. Manu del Moral headed the equalizer from Villar’s centre shortly before the break, but Pedro forced a shot past Kepa to restore the lead after the restart, and the Maños held on despite having Pedro sent off for a second bookable offence with a quarter of an hour to go.

Elche are level with Zaragoza on 52 points after they beat Lugo 2-0 earlier in the evening. Caballero missed several chances for the visitors early on, and Sergio León fired a penalty kick against the post after Lemos handled in the area at the other end. León made up for his mistake though, beating José Juan with an angled shot shortly before the interval, and Cristaldo wrapped things up on a quick counter attack with twenty minutes to go, his shot looping off a defender over the head of the keeper. Mirandés missed a chance to close up on the play off spots however after they were held to a 1-1 draw at bottom club Bilbao Athletic. Aridane got on the end of Alain’s cross to put the visitors ahead at the start of the second half, but Aketxe levelled the scores with a last minute penalty after Eguaras brought down Córdoba in the area. Llagostera, the team just above Bilbao in the table, also drew 1-1 at Numancia to keep their slim hopes of survival alive. Julio Alvarez appeared to have given the locals the victory when he converted a penalty after Querol handled in the area with seven minutes left on the clock, but ex Numancia striker Natalio saved a point for the Catalans with a volley past Munir in time added on. (16.04.16)

The battle for promotion is tighter than ever after both leaders lost this weekend! Alavés were beaten by Girona on Saturday, and on Sunday evening Leganés lost 2-0 at South Madrid neighbours Alcorcón, a result which took the hosts up to sixth, within five points of their opponents. Toribio put the locals in front on the half hour mark with a cross-come-shot which Serantes couldn’t keep out, and Collantes came close to a second when he hit the bar after the restart. Asdrúbal had a strike ruled out at the other end for what the referee considered to be a previous foul, but with two minutes to go Oscar Plano made sure of the three points with a shot into the top corner of the net. The leaders are still four points clear of the rest however after their closest rivals Nàstic and Oviedo drew 0-0 in Sunday’s mid-day game. Other than an early chance for Borja Valle the Asturians hardly approached Reina’s goal, and Rubén Miño had to make important saves from Naranjo either side of the break. Substitute Aníbal also went close a couple of times late on, and the visitors ended with ten men when Verdés picked up a second booking in injury time, but in the end both coaches settled for a draw which left them a point clear of three teams.

Córdoba are back in the running for the play-off spots as well, and they are now just a point outside of the top six after a 0-2 win at Huesca. The Andalusians had only picked up two points from their last five matches, but they took the lead when Xisco got on the end of a corner with ten minutes to go to the interval. And some seven minutes in to the second half Florin connected with a Pedro Ríos cross to wrap things up, a result which left the Aragón based side back in the relegation spots. Córdoba move a point above Osasuna, who could only draw 1-1 at Mallorca in the last game of the weekend. Ortuño opened the scoring for the islanders midway through the first half after Nauzet could only push out a corner, but Roberto Torres made it all square from the penalty spot after Kasim fouled Nino in the area some five minutes after the restart.

Mallorca end the weekend just three points above the relegation spots after Almería beat Ponferradina 1-3 earlier in the evening. The Andalusians had spent seven months in the bottom four, and had not won away from home all season, but within three minutes Juan Ramírez gave them the lead after Santanmaría pushed out a centre from Dubarbier. Quique González added two more either side of half time, the first from another Dubarbier centre and the second from Pozo’s cross, and although Caiado got one back late on, the hosts couldn’t prevent a defeat which leaves them just a point above Gorosito’s side in the table. Albacete sink further down in the drop zone however after they lost 1-0 at Tenerife, and they finish the day some five points away from safety. Nano got the only goal of the match midway through the second half after Lozano put him clear to extend the Canary Islanders run without defeat to nine games. (17.04.16)