Numancia 0 - Las Palmas 1

Numancia: Alvaro Nuñez; Manel, Jaume, Gustavo, David Pirri; Iñaki, Nagore (Pacheta 52'), Rosu (Barbu 52'), Marini; Rubén Navarro, Ojeda (Chispa Delgado 74'). 4-4-2.
Las Palmas: Cicovic; Edu Alonso, Alvaro, Schurrer, Paqui, Angel; Jorge, Jaime Molina, Josico (Paquito 80'); Guayre (Eloy 80'), Orlando (Ramón 73'). 5-3-2.

Team changes: Numancia: Jaume, Gustavo, David Pirri, Marini, Ojeda for Montoya, Muñiz, Clavero, Pacheta, José Manuel / Las Palmas: Alvaro, Schurrer, Jorge, Orlando for Olias, Jarni, Samways, Oulare.

Goals:
0-1. 47. Jorge. Caught keeper off line with 40 yard free kick in off post.

A 45 metre free kick from home-grown youngster Jorge just after half time sent Numancia down near the bottom of the table and cost their manager Paco Herrera his job. Jorge, one of the Las Palmas "super-babes" who are attracting interest from the big clubs at the moment, let fly from just over the halfway line catching Nuñez off his line as the ball carried over him and into the net off the far post. It was a ray of light in an otherwise dark match, with neither side creating many chances in a dull first half which was played largely in the middle of the pitch.

Sergio Kresic brought back Jorge for this match to strengthen a midfield that was missing two of their stars, Vinny Samways who was suspended, and Robert Jarni who was forced to take a rest after picking up an injury against Mallorca. Guinean striker Oulare was also out injured, so Orlando came in up front, with Alvaro and Schurrer returning in a five man defence. Paco Herrera's team returned to Los Pajaritos stadium after two away defeats in a row, and the manager made five changes, leaving out two of his regular players Muñiz and Pacheta as scapegoats for the recent bad results. Romania's Rosu, who had scored a hat-trick in their last home match against Real Madrid, dropped back to the left of midfield, with Ojeda joining Rubén Navarro up front.

After the goal Herrera made a double change, bringing on Pacheta and Barbu for Rosu and Nagore. The substitution brought whistles from the crowd, unhappy in particular that their favourite Nagore had been replaced. Chispa Delgado came on for Ojeda later on, and almost immediately wasted the best chance of the game. With ten minutes to go Kresic gave veteran club captain Paquito his first appearance in the first division, and his side held back the Numancia onslaught for the last few minutes. The day after the match the Soria side announced that Herrera had been fired, the recent good results against Barcelona and Real Madrid apparently counting for nothing. His replacement will be Mariano García Remón, an ex Real Madrid player and junior team coach who has also been in the manager's chair at several clubs, including Sporting Gijon and Albacete. He takes over with immediate effect.