Real Sociedad 1 - Las Palmas 1

Real Sociedad: Westerveld; López Rekarte, Kvarme, Jauregui, Aranzábal; Aranburu, Idiakez; Nihat (De Paula 66'), Khokhlov (Gabilondo 73'), De Pedro (Pikabea 88'); Kovacevic. 4-2-3-1.
Las Palmas: Orlando Quintana; Angel, Alvaro, Schurrer, Paqui (Socorro 65'); Samways, Josico; Edu Alonso, Jorge (Sarasúa 46'), Pablo Lago; Orlando (Rubén 83'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Real Sociedad: Nihat, De Pedro for Xabi Alonso, Tayfun / Las Palmas: Paqui, Josico for Sarasúa, Alberto.

Goals:
0-1. 23. Jorge (penalty). After Kvarme brought down Orlando on right of goal.
1-1. 78. Kovacevic. Diving header low past keeper from López Rekarte cross.

Las Palmas put up a valiant battle at San Sebastian, but in the end it was not enough and they will be accompanying their Canary Island neighbours Tenerife to the second division. Fernando Vázquez's side had to at least get a point more than the team above them Mallorca, and the manager (who was serving out a one match ban and had to watch from the stands) put out his strongest side, with Paqui and Josico both returning to the starting line up. Their opponents Real Sociedad were in a festival mood, with veteran defender Loren receiving an ovation from the club before the game on the eve of his retirement, and after a brief flurry they relaxed and let the visitors take control of the game. With twenty minutes on the clock referee González Vázquez awarded a penalty to the islanders when Kvarme brought down Orlando in the area, and Jorge stepped up to place the ball coolly wide of Westerveld.

Things were looking even better for Las Palmas when Valladolid scored at Mallorca, and for almost an hour it was the Balearic island side who were down. Pablo Lago should have wrapped things up twice for his side, first of all from a header in the first half which he put wide with the goal at his mercy, and then when he ran the ball on too far after the break allowing Westerveld to recover. News came in though that Mallorca had equalised, and a few minutes later their worse fears came true when they heard that Luque had put their rivals in front. Heads went down, concentration slipped, and almost immediately Real were level, Kovacevic getting on the end of López Rekarte's cross to beat young keeper Orland Quintana.

The sending off of Edu Alonso a few minutes later for a second bookable offence was in the end academic, and when González blew the final whistle Samways and his team-mates left the field in tears. With a mountain of debts hanging over their heads the club will have to sell players to survive, and even then it is not clear whether they can raise enough to pay off their players by 30 June to avoid relegation down another level to the second division B. A sad night for Canary Island football all round.