With matches synchronized to kick off at the same time on Sunday, only the game between Sporting Gijón and Gimnastic Tarragona took place on Saturday. Although the locals had the better of the first half, the Catalans eventually won 0-3 to leave both sides safely in mid-table. Diego Torres started things off from the penalty spot in the first minute of the second half after he himself was brought down by Rafa, and added a second a quarter of an hour later after the young keeper came off his line. When Bolo made it three after another defensive mistake the home fans started to take it out on their players, who had only just collected several months' back wages the day before after several weeks of protests. Arthuro did at least hit the bar later on, but Cuéllar should have scored another for the visitors when he missed a sitter near the end.

The biggest game tomorrow is between Celta and Eibar, where the locals will have to try and win promotion all over again after the result of their last game was overturned by the disciplinary committee due to the inclusion of an ineligible player in the line up. See last week's report for more details. (11.06.05)

No less than nine games kicked off on Sunday evening, with all three promotion and all four relegation spots still to be decided. And although all the relegation places were clear at the end of the day, only one team were sure of going up, Alavés returning to the first division after a two years absence after a 1-2 win at Elche took them to the top of the table. The Vitoria based side were pushed back early on and fell behind when Nino got on the end of Rubén Suárez's cross to fire the ball into the roof of the net midway through the first half. But three minutes later Bodipo turned Edu Alonso's cross in off the post to level the scores, and two minutes after the restart the striker got between two defenders to meet a De Lucas through ball and beat debutant keeper Diego Arroyo once again. After that Dmitri Piterman's side sat back to defend their lead, and Bonano had to be at his best to keep out Nino and Peragón in the closing minutes.

Celta continue to suffer though after their win last week was overturned for disciplinary reasons, and they were beaten 1-2 by an Eibar side who close up to within a point of them in the table. The Galicians were clearly affected by the ruling having spent a couple of days celebrating what they thought was their promotion to the first division, and their opponents took advantage of slack defending to open the scoring through Llorente on the half hour mark. Fernando Vázquez didn't wait until half time to make his first two substitutions, bringing on Isaac and Juan Sánchez for Jonathan and Manolo, but even though they improved after that, the Basques increased their lead after substitute Alberto Suárez picked up a poor clearance by Sergio to beat Pinto. Juan Sánchez pulled a goal back but it was too little too late, and to make matters worse Canobbio was sent off in the last minute, meaning he will probably miss the Galicians' last game at Lleida, which they will now have to win to be sure of finishing in the top three.

The remaining two promotion spots will be fought out next weekend between the two of them and Cádiz, who moved ahead of Celta on head-to-head goal average after a 3-1 win over Terrassa. The Andalusians took the initiative right from the start, and although Valle kept out a De Quintana header early on, the ex Rayo defender gave his side the lead when he headed home Sesma's corner midway through the first half. The visitors were fighting to stay up though, and after Quique Martín brought a good save out of Armando, Abraham made it all square early in the second half. Jonathan Sesma restored the lead though and the Catalans were left with ten men when Rubén was sent off for a hard tackle, and then with nine after Rodri followed him for bringing down Oli in the area. Manolo Pérez drove in the resultant penalty, Terrassa were down and Cádiz were within one win of promotion. They don't have it easy though, with a last visit to neighbours and old enemies Xerez, who won't let them win easily.

Recreativo Huelva are out of the running after they drew 1-1 with Almería, and although they could still catch Cádiz and Celta their negative head-to-head record against both means they could not get above them in the table (although in fact they do have a mathematical chance if they end in four way tie with Eibar as well and win their last match by twenty clear goals). The Andalusians took the lead when Iker Begoña deflected Viqueira's free kick past Valerio ten minutes before the end of the first half, and Casas and Xavi Jiménez both wasted chances to extend the lead before the break. The visitors were desperate for a result though to avoid relegation, Francoli, Lozano and Galca all testing Luque either side of half time. But it looked as if the locals were heading for victory until Lozano headed the equaliser from a free kick in the fourth and final minute of injury time.

Almería's goal means that they are now safe, and also means that all four relegation spots were decided this weekend, with Terrassa, Pontevedra, Córdoba and Salamanca all going down. Perhaps the biggest surprise was the 0-2 defeat of Salamanca by Ciudad Murcia, a disastrous result for a side who were in fact one of the favourites for promotion this season. Both sides could have scored in a tense first half, Luque having a shot blocked by the local defence following an indirect free kick and Brit putting an effort over the bar at the other end. But the visitors went in front five minutes into the second half when Güiza beat Jon Ander on a rapid breakaway, and after the hosts had a couple of penalty appeals turned down, Toni González wrapped things up with a second goal near the end. Salamanca's only hope now is that they hold on to nineteenth spot and hope that another side (for example Tenerife) are relegated for failing to pay their debts.

Córdoba will be joining Goikoetxea's side in the second division B after their great escape fell a few metres short, an exciting 3-4 defeat at the hands of Valladolid putting an end to their hopes. Things looked desperate for the Andalusians when they went three down with only a quarter of the game gone, Víctor scoring the first from the penalty spot after Berruet brought him down, and Oscar Sánchez and Chema added two more soon afterwards. But referee Clos Gómez awarded two more penalties, this time to the hosts, the first after Mario handled and the second after keeper Lledó was sent off for a foul on Anderson, and Cristian Alvarez converted both. However Jesús got a fourth for the visitors with a quickly taken free kick before the half time whistle, and although Anderson headed one back after the restart, substitute keeper Bizzarri kept them from scoring any more.

Pontevedra's revival also ran out steam near the end, a 1-1 draw at Málaga B not enough to save them in the light of the day's other results. The Galicians really needed a win to have any hope of staying up, and Javi Rodríguez brought a couple of good saves out of Goitia early on. But Paco Esteban came close a couple of times, and Jesús Gámez shot just wide before the break. Juan Jesús did put the visitors ahead on a quick breakaway on the hour mark, but their joy only lasted three minutes before Geijo beat Moso to level the scores. Abel could have won it for the locals in injury time had Moso not been at his best, but by then it was all over and Pontevedra were down.

Several sides breathed a sigh of relief though, including Racing Ferrol, who lost 1-2 at the hands of Xerez but who had done enough earlier in the season to stay up. The Galicians had gone six games without a win, and found themselves behind when a shot from Camuñas took a deflection off a defender to beat Piña. Granon levelled the scores in the second half when his cross beat everyone to enter the net, and Mario Bermejo should have given them the lead a few minutes later. But five minutes from the end Moreno put the Andalusians back in front and that was how it stayed.

Poli Ejido also got the point they needed in a 2-2 draw with Tenerife, and like their neighbours Almería they will be playing once again in the second division next season. The Andalusians found themselves behind when Raúl Martín beat Carlos Sánchez in the fifth minute, but Toedtli got on the end of Mara's cross to bundle the ball into the net off his knee just two minutes in to the second half. Limones retored the lead for the Canary Islanders from Raúl Martín's pass just five minutes later, but once again the locals equalised, Víctor Salas picking up Pedro Vega's through ball to score. Both sides had escaped the drop zone, but Tenerife still have to bring their payments up to date if they are not to lose in the back offices what they had won on the field of play.

Real Murcia and Lleida had already done their homework though and they were allowed to play earlier in the evening, the Casuco's side running out 1-0 winners. The locals dominated the match, Acciari and Valera both going close before Iván Alonso opened the scoring fter good work by Maciel and Valera. Julio Alvarez and Richi could have increased the lead after the interval, but the best chance fell to Alonso, who saw his penalty kick saved by Rangel five minutes from the end. (12.06.05)