An injury time goal from Karmona prevented Numancia from taking the three points at Eibar on Saturday evening. The locals had been the better side early on, and Gorka Brit should have put them in front from a free kick midway through the first half. But Rosu put the league leaders ahead against the run of play on the stroke of half time after Velasco set him up, the referee waving away claims for a possible foul in the play leading up to the goal. The ex Alavés defender popped up though to head home a corner and make it 1-1 in the dying seconds, his second vital goal in consecutive weeks. The result keeps the Basque side up into fifth spot, well in touch with the leaders.
Meanwhile Levante moved up to second, two points behind Numancia, with a 0-1 victory at struggling Algeciras. The game was played in a constant downpour, and the only goal came from Congo in the second half, the ex Real Madrid striker heading a cross past Iñaki only six minutes after coming on as substitute. Levante's Mora did the rest, and he now leads the second division Zamora's chart having only let in four goals all season. Algeciras dropped to the bottom of the table by the end of the weekend, and manager José Luis Montes became the seventh coach this season to lose his job when he was fired the day afterwards.
And in the third game played on Saturday, Tenerife and Leganés played out a 0-0 draw on a evening when heavy rain also fell in the Canary Islands.The difficult conditions made play almost impossible, and visiting keeper Leyenda was only troubled twice before the break, having to save efforts from Martín Posse and Jonathan. At the other end Alvaro was only called into action once to stop a shot from Borja. The visitors could have won it when Txiki shot over in the final minutes, but in the end both settled to share the points for the eighth time this season. (22.11.03)
Third placed Almería lost their unbeaten record this season when they were beaten 1-2 by Rayo Vallecano on Sunday lunchtime. Biagini got the opening goal for the Madrid based side midway through the first half after good work by Peragón, but Pignol equalised ten minutes later following a short free kick, his shot passing through the hands of keeper Etxeberría. Pulido almost headed into his own net after the break, but soon afterwards he hit the target at the other end, heading home the winning goal from a corner. It was a second victory in a row for new manager Jorge D'Alessandro, and takes his side well clear of the relegation zone.
The other midday match between Getafe and Poli Ejido ended 1-1, with virtually all the action coming in the last five minutes of the game. Heavy rain made conditions unplayable, and neither side made much inroad until three minutes from the end, when Gari Uranga turned Mario Cotelo's effort past keeper Manu. A minute later though the visitors were level, Sabino shooting into the net following a corner. The local players protested strongly to the referee and linesmen that the striker had committed a foul in the play leading up to the goal, but all they achieved were red cards for Cotelo and manager Yosu Uribe. (23.11.03)
Cádiz moved to within two points of Almería after a 2-1 win over Ciudad de Murcia on Sunday evening. Jonathan Sesma put the Andalucians ahead in the sixth minute from Suárez's cross, but after that they sat back and were lucky not to give away the lead when Robles and Turu Flores missed chances either side of half time. But Sesma got his second of the night after Raúl López set him up, and Güiza's injury time strike came to late to save the visitors.
Alavés failed to keep up with the leaders though after they were held to a 1-1 draw by a Xerez side who appear to have improved under new manager Esteban Vigo . Pepe Mel's side took the lead in the twelfth minute when Edu Alonso beat Unanua, but Calle wasted two or three chances to level the scores before the break for the visitors. Selu headed the equaliser though in the second half, and they held on thanks in part to Unanua who saved from Iván Alonso in the dying moments. Alavés ended the weekend in sixth spot.
Sporting Gijon moved up to seventh after a 2-0 win over Elche, who drop to eighth. The Asturians had the better chances early on, with Bilic shooting over the bar and then having a goal disallowed. The turning point came though just before the break when Tasevski was sent off for the visitors after picking up a second booking, and Yago headed the locals in front from a corner just after the restart. Bilic added a second seven minutes later to wrap things up.
Córdoba are breathing down their necks though after their fourth win in a row under new manager Miguel Angel Portugal, Pulpo González scoring in the last minute to give them a 1-0 victory over Salamanca. Other than the goal though it was a dull match, with the only action coming in a rainy second half with keepers Stelea and Jauregui both making good saves, the former from ex Valencia and Sevilla forward Nico Olivera and the latter from visiting midfielder José.
Recreativo Huelva's new manager Sergio Kresic was unable to start with a win, his side being held to a 2-2 draw by Las Palmas. All four goals came after the break, with Carmelo starting things off for the Canary Islanders with a shot in off the bar. Recre turned the score around with two goals from Toedtli, the first a header from Benítez's pass and the second with a low shot after Pernía set him up. But a brilliant second goal from all of 35 yards by Carmelo saved a point for the visitors. (23.11.03)
The relegation battle between Málaga B and Terrassa was switched to Monday night as Málaga's first team were playing in the Rosaleda stadium the evening before. The move did them no good however, and they ended losing 1-3 to slide back down towards the drop zone. Navas headed the visitors in front midway through the first half and Molist made it two following a free kick just before the break after local full back Calderón was sent off for a second booking. Referee Ayza Gamez sent off Capó for the visitors and Manolo for the locals early in the second half, and after Molist got a third for the Catalans, Roberto Merino pulled one back with a late penalty after Cristian fouled substitute Koke. (24.11.03)