Second Division - Day 10

Levante moved further clear at the top of the second division pending Sunday’s games after they came from behind to beat Mallorca 2-1 in the last match on Saturday evening. Ansotegi headed the islanders in to the lead from a long Moutinho free kick with just under a quarter of an hour gone, but Chema headed the equalizer from Verza’s corner some five minutes later, and Jefferson Lerma fired home the winner after picking up a short throw-in on the hour mark. It was the Valencia based team’s fifth straight home win, and they are now six points clear of Lugo, who lost 0-1 at home to Getafe earlier in the afternoon. Both keepers had saves to make, but Scepovic got on the end of a long Damián Suárez free kick to head the winner with five minutes left on the clock. Getafe move away from the danger zone having picked up seven points from three games under new coach Pepe Bordalás, and Lugo stay second despite their first defeat of the season.

Fourth placed Mirandés also saw their unbeaten record come to an end after they lost 3-0 at Huesca, who themselves are now just outside of the play-off spots. Vadillo opened the scoring for the locals with ten minutes to go to the interval, and after the restart strikes from Alexander González and Borja Lázaro wrapped things up. The other two matches on Saturday both ended without goals, Girona moving to within a point of Mirandés after a 0-0 draw at home to Oviedo, who stay a point behind their hosts in the table. Elsewhere Alcorcón and Almería also drew 0-0, both teams staying down in the relegation zone as a result. Julio Velázquez was in charge of the Madrid based side for the first time after Cosmin Contra was sacked midweek (despite their cup win), but even though visiting midfielder Fran Vélez was sent off for a second bookable offence midway through the first half, the locals were unable to find the route to goal. (15.10.16)

Levante end the weekend six points clear of the pack after their closest rivals Córdoba lost 0-1 to neighbours Sevilla Atlético on Sunday. Curro and Luso hit the woodwork at either end, but the game appeared to be heading for a draw until Borja Lasso latched on to a loose ball in the area to beat Kiezsek with five minutes to go. Córdoba drop to fourth, a point behind Reus, who won 0-2 at UCAM Murcia to move level with second placed Lugo. Both teams were promoted this summer, but the Catalans won it with two goals in the first quarter of an hour from Fran Carbiá. Meanwhile Zaragoza’s poor run continues, and they drop in to the bottom half of the table after they were beaten 1-3 by Elche in the mid-day kick-off. The visitors went three up by half time, Nino setting up Pelayo for the first, and then scoring the second himself after Irureta dropped Dorca’s cross at his feet. With half time approaching Pelayo made it three after a quick passing move with Nino, and Angel’s strike midway through the second half couldn’t prevent a fifth game in a row without a win for Luis Milla’s side.

Elche climb up to eighth, level on points with Girona, Sevilla Atlético and Huesca, and Valladolid are now a point behind them after a 1-2 victory at bottom club Nàstic. Juan Villar fired the visitors in to the lead with just under half an hour gone, and although Uche equalized with a shot from the edge of the area just before the break, José Arnáiz restored the lead with a header past Dimitrievski from Moyano’s cross after the restart. The Catalans ended the game with ten men when Suzuki picked up a second booking, and despite a good cup run, they have still to win a single match in the league. The other two games on Sunday both ended all square, Rayo Vallecano and Numancia staying in mid-table after a high scoring 3-3 draw. Amaya cancelled out Manu del Moral’s early opener, but strikes after the break by Marc Mateu and Julio Alvarez put the visitors two in front. Goals in the last quarter of an hour by Alex Moreno and Ebert saved a point for Sandoval’s team however. Results elsewhere meant that Tenerife and Cádiz came in to the last match of the weekend languishing in the lower reaches of the table, and a 1-1 draw left the visitors in the bottom four and their hosts just a point above them. The Andalusians had to play all the second half a man short after Ortuño was sent off for a hard tackle on Iñaki just before the break, and a Jouini header seemed to have won it for the Canary Islanders before Santamaría levelled the scores in injury time. (16.10.16)