Second Division - Day 12

A set-back for second placed Reus on Saturday afternoon, a 2-1 defeat at Huesca leaving them still six points adrift of leaders Levante. The Catalans got off to a good start, Miramón and Ricardo Vaz going close before Máyor opened the scoring after Herrera spilled an Albistegui centre at his feet. However with twenty minutes to go Samu Sáiz equalized from the penalty spot after Melli was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Jair, and just two minutes later Melero got on the end of Samu Sáiz’s cross to score the winner. The result takes the Aragón based team up to third, two points behind their opponents and level with Córdoba, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Valladolid later in the evening. Both goals came towards the end of the first half, Caro bundling in a corner to give the Andalusians the lead, and Michel cutting in from the left to level the scores on the stroke of half time. Local forward Rodri felt himself unlucky however to have a strike ruled out for a borderline offside with the game already in time added on.

Zaragoza got off to a winning start under new coach Raúl Agné, the Maños beating Almería 2-1 to move to within a point of the play-off spots. Agné actually had to watch from the stands as he was serving out an old ban, but he saw Javi Ros put his new team in front after a Lanzarote free kick fell to him in the area with just under a quarter of an hour gone. Midway through the second half Ángel turned in another Lanzarote free kick to make it two, but ten minutes later Quique converted a penalty after he was pushed over in the area by Zapater to set up a nail-biting finish. Rayo Vallecano manager Sandoval may be the next to fall after his side lost 3-2 at Tenerife, The Canary Islanders went two up in the first quarter of the match, Lozano heading in a Camille centre and Amath picking up a long ball from Aitor Sanz to beat Gazzaniga. Yougster Fran Beltrán got one back soon afterwards with an impressive shot, but Amath got his second of the evening after the restart, and Manucho’s header came too late to change the result. (29.10.16)

Two games on Sunday lunchtime this week, Sevilla Atlético surprisingly moving up to second in the table after a 2-0 victory over Elche. The youngsters were one of the favourites for the drop this season, but they came in to this game having won three in a row, and once again they dominated right from the start. The goals though didn’t come until after the break, Curro Sánchez latching on to a loose ball to open the scoring some six minutes in to the second half, and Ivi adding the second with a well struck free kick soon afterwards. Meanwhile Girona are closing back in on the play-off spots after they beat Numancia 3-0 in the Montilivi stadium. The Catalans had not scored in their last three matches, but within ten minutes they went two up, Granell and Portu both taking advantage of Borja García assists to beat Munir. With eight minutes to go to the break Pere Pons added a third after Sandaza laid the ball back, and only some good saves by the visiting keeper prevented the Catalans from adding to the scoreline after the break.

Levante finally dropped points at home, the Valencia based side held to a 1-1 draw by Getafe later in the evening, albeit that results elsewhere meant that they extended their lead at the top to seven points. Lacen had given the visitors an early lead after a free kick fell to him, but midway through the first half Natxo Insa fired home the equalizer after Alberto García could only push out a cross from Toño. The visitors had the better chances after the break though, Cala and Molina in particular going close, and they extend their unbeaten run under new coach Pepe Bordalás to five games. Oviedo are up to fourth after they won 0-1 at UCAM Murcia, Héctor Verdés heading the only goal from a Susaeta corner with ten minutes to go to the interval. Other than that though they hardly managed a shot on target, and the locals should have gone in front earlier on when Góngora fired a penalty kick wide after David Fernández brought him down in the area.

Lugo drop out of the top six though after they were beaten 0-1 by Cádiz, a third defeat in a row for Luis César’s side. Alvaro García latched on to Güiza’s back-heel pass to score the only goal some twenty minutes in to the second half, the result taking the Andalusians two points clear of the drop zone. Alcorcón also climb out of the relegation spots after they beat Mirandés 1-0, leaving UCAM and Numancia down in the bottom four. The Madrid based team had only scored four times all season, but David Rodríguez headed in a Bellvis cross midway through the second half to give his side their first victory in a month. Nàstic though are firmly anchored to the bottom of the table, and they still have not won a single game thi season after they were held to a 2-2 draw by Mallorca. Juan Muñoz and then Jean Luc twice put the Catalans ahead, but two goals by Brandón cancelled them out each time, and a frustrated Lopo was shown a red card for insulting the referee at the end of the match. (30.10.16)