Second division B play-offs

The league stage of the second division B ended today, with sixteen teams going in to the play-offs for the four promotion spots. Qualifying sides from the four regional groups were as follows:

Group I: Real Madrid B, Universidad Las Palmas, Rayo Vallecano, Alcalá;
Group II: Ponferradina, Real Unión, Burgos, Zamora;
Group III: * Alicante, Hércules, Castellón, Zaragoza B;
Group IV: Sevilla B, Conquense, Ceuta, Lorca.

* Levante B finished third but were not eligible for the play-offs as their first team was relegated.

This year the mini-league system has been abandoned, and sides will be drawn into four cross-regional groups on Monday, with semi-finals and finals to be played over two legs. (29.05.05)

The four cross-regional groups were made up as follows:

Group A: Alcalá v Ponferradina; Ceuta v Hércules.
Group B: Zamora v Sevilla B; Castellón v Universidad.
Group C: Lorca v Alicante; Rayo Vallecano v Real Unión.
Group D: Zaragoza B v Real Madrid B; Burgos v Conquense.

Teams will play home and away, with the winners meeting in a group final, also played over two legs starting at the ground of the lower ranked side. The winner of each group final will be promoted to the second division A. (30.05.05)

Four teams from each of the four regional groups were relegated, and the four teams finishing fifth from bottom in each group will play off to avoid the one remaining relegation spot. They will be replaced by 17 sides who win through the division three play-offs (top four of each of the 17 regional groups to take part), which once again will be on a straight knock out basis. The sides relegated were as follows (subject to relegations for financial reasons which will be decided at the end of July):

Group I: Fuerteventura, Mallorca B, Navalcarnero, Arteixo;
Group II: Giujuelo, Gimnastica Torrelavega, Sestao, Haro;
Group III: Espanyol B, Girona, Novelda, Peña Sport;
Group IV: Tomelloso, Don Benito, Jerez, Arenas.

The draw for the relegation play-off threw together the following fixtures: Gramanet v Mirandés; Fuenlabrada v Talavera. Teams will play over two legs, with the losers playing each other to avoid going down. (30.05.05)

Results were as follows:

Semi-finals first leg, 5th June:
Gramanet 1 - 0 Mirandes
Fuenlabrada 2 - 1 Talavera .

Semi-finals second leg leg, 12th June:
Mirandés 1 - Gramanet 0 (4-5 penalty shoot out)
Talavera 2 - Fuenlabrada 2

Final, first leg, 19th June:

Talavera 0 - Mirandés 0

Final second leg, 26th June:

Mirandés 1 - Talavera 1

Relegated: Mirandés