Real Sociedad 2 - Numancia 1

Real Sociedad: Riesgo; López Rekarte, Luiz Alberto, Labaka, Rossato (Brechet 89'); Aranburu (Barkero 71'), Mikel Alonso; Karpin, Uranga, Xabi Prieto (De Paula 71'); Kovacevic. 4-2-3-1.
Numancia: Juanma; Juanpa, Pignol, Otxoa, Tarantino; Ros (Pulpo González 36'), Palacios; Miguel Pérez (Juan Carlos Moreno 81'), Carlos Merino (Tevenet 12'), Juanlu; Miguel. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Real Sociedad: Kovacevic for De Paula / Numancia: Pignol, Miguel Pérez for Graff, Velasco.

Goals:
1-0. 07. Kovacevic. Picked up Karpin pass and fired shot into top of net.
1-1. 49. Tevenet. Got above defence to head Pulpo González cross past Riesgo.
2-1. 85. Barkero. Following up after Juanma pushed out shot from Kovacevic.

Bottom club Numancia's brief revival came to an end when they were beaten 2-1 by Real Sociedad, and the Soria based team ended the weekend eleven points off safety. They put up a good fight though, and Miguel and Juanlu both went close before Kovacevic opened the scoring after good work by Karpin. Tarantino could have equalised when he shot just wide before the break, but four minutes after the restart the visitors did draw level when Pulpo González and Tevenet (who had replaced the injured Merino and Ros in the first half) combined for the latter to head past Riesgo.

After that the visitors took control, with Tevenet shooting wide, and Miguel and Pulpo González both bringing good saves out of Riesgo. But with five minutes to go Kovacevic got away on a quick counter-attack, and although Juanma got a hand to his shot, Barkero drove the ball home on the follow up. The visitors protested to referee Mejuto González that the Serbian striker was in an offside position, but he turned away their appeals (correctly as it appeared from television pictures). There was still time for Miguel to hit the bar as Numancia tried desperately to save a point, but it was too late and they fell to their first defeat in five games.