Second Division - Day 35

Leganés have opened up a two point gap at the top of the table after they beat Ponferradina 3-0 on Saturday evening! Omar Ramos latched on to a loose ball in the area to open the scoring shortly before half time, and Rubén Peña made it two after Omar set him up with a quarter of an hour to go. The visitors had a chance to get one back soon afterwards when Mantovani gave away a penalty, but Andy fired his spot kick wide, and with the game coming to an end Peña wrapped things up with his second of the match. It was a third defeat in a row for Fabri’s side, and they ended the day just a point above the drop zone pending the rest of the weekend games. Alavés are losing steam though, and they drop below Leganés after drawing 0-0 to Elche, the fifth home game in a row that they have had make do with a share of the spoils. The Vitoria based side did have the better chances, Juli and Dani Pacheco (directly from a corner) bringing good saves out of Javi Jiménez, and Juli testing the keeper again later on, but the visitors held on for a point which takes them up to fifth in the table.

Alavés still have a four point cushion over third place however after the two teams immediately below them both failed to win. Nàstic were held to a 1-1 draw by regional neighbours Llagostera, Natalio getting on the end of an Edu Oriol cross to save a point after Naranjo had given the visitors the lead early on in the second half. And Oviedo drop a point below the Catalans after they were beaten 0-1 by a Huesca side who climb out of the bottom four as a result. Borja Valle did hit the post for the Asturians before the break, but Fran Mérida got on the end of a centre from the right to open the scoring soon after the restart, and visiting keeper Leo Franco made a string of saves to ensure the victory after that. Girona meanwhile are up to sixth after they won 0-3 at Albacete, the Manchegans ending the day six points away from safety in next to bottom spot, now a point behind Llagostera. Things swung in the way of the visitors in the first minute when Nuñez was sent off for giving away a penalty on Mata, the forward converting the spot kick himself. Just a minute in to the second half Mata beat Juan Carlos again to make it two, and Lejeune completed the scoring following a corner with a quarter of an hour to go. (23.04.16)

Zaragoza leap up four places to third in the table after a 3-1 victory over promotion rivals Alcorcón in the last match on Sunday evening! The Maños found themselves behind though, Rafa Páez heading in a Fede Vega cross in the tenth minute. But a few minutes later Javi Ros headed the equalizer after Dmitrovic could only push out an effort from Dorca, and with just over half an hour gone Dongou controlled a long ball from Rico to turn the scoreline around. Even so the visitors could have drawn level, but midway through the second half Chema was sent off for a second bookable offence, and with the game coming to an end Dongou wrapped things up with his second of the night. Only three points through separate Lluis Carreras’ side from their opponents, who are now tenth, and Osasuna are back in to the play-off spots after they beat Valladolid 1-0 in this Sunday’s mid-day game. Nino headed the only goal of the match from a Javier Flaño cross on the half hour mark to leave their opponents down in fifteenth spot. The result signalled the end for their coach Miguel Angel Portugal, who was sacked soon after the final whistle, his side only having taken one point from their last five games.

Córdoba stay a point outside of the top six for another week though after they could only draw 0-0 against Tenerife. The Andalusians had in fact lost their last six matches in their Arcangel stadium, and once again they were unable to find the route to goal. The result extends the unbeaten run for the Canary Islanders to ten games, and they end the day still two points behind their hosts, level now with Lugo, who beat Mallorca 2-1. Joselu combined with Jonathan Pereira on a rapid breakaway to give the Galicians the lead midway through the first half, but Damià appeared to have saved a point for the islanders when he beat José Juan to level the scores with ten minutes to go. However with the game in the second minute of injury time Fernando Seoane fired home the winner to leave Fernando Vázquez’s side just a point above the drop zone.

Huesca’s win on Saturday had left Almería back down in the bottom four, but they climbed back out of the relegation spots after a last gasp 3-2 victory over bottom club Bilbao Athletic. Gorosito’s team twice took the lead through Pozo on the half hour mark and Quique González at the start of the second half, but Guarrotxena and then Iriondo squared it both times. However substitute Kalu Uche came on to get an injury time winner, the result leaving Ponferradina down in the drop zone in their stead (their coach Fabri was also sacked the following day!). Numancia though moved eight points clear of Ponfe after they beat Mirandés 0-2, their first ever win in the Anduva stadium. Both goals came in the first half hour, Regalón getting the first following a corner, and David Concha the second from a Nacho cross, and Arrasate’s side held fast despite having Luis Valcarce sent off for a second yellow card at the start of the second half. (24.04.16)