Racing Santander 2 - Recreativo Huelva 0

Racing: Coltorti; Pinillos, Moratón, César Navas, Ayoze; Pablo Alvarez, Duscher, Colsa (Orteman 71'), Jorge López (Oscar Serrano 62'); Smolarek, Munitis (Tchité 61'). 4-4-2.
Recreativo: Sorrentino; Iago Bouzón, Martín Cáceres, Beto, Poli; Zahinos, Jesús Vázquez (Javi Guerrero 87'); Marquitos (Barber 73'), Carlos Martins, Aitor (Gerard 86'); Sinama-Pongolle. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Racing: Coltorti, Pinillos, César Navas, Ayoze, Duscher, Colsa, Jorge López, Munitis for Toño, Sergio Sánchez, Oriol, Marcano, Luis Fernández, Orteman, Jonathan Valle, Iván Bolado / Recreativo: Jesús Vázquez, Marquitos for Camuñas, Marco Rubén.

Goals:
1-0. 80. Orteman. Latched on to loose ball outside area and curled shot in off post.
2-0. 94. Smolarek. Picked up Coltorti throw and rolled long shot into empty net.

Racing Santander bounced back after their midweek Copa del Rey defeat against Getafe, a 2-0 win over Recreativo taking them up to fifth place in the table. With their hopes of a place in Europe via the cup scuppered, Marcelino turned to plan B, a finish in the top six. And it was virtually one-way traffic throughout the first half as the Cantabrians went for broke. Duscher and Smolarek both had efforts blocked, and Colsa missed his kick when presented with the earliest of chances, although Recre did have a couple of chances themselves shortly before the break, particularly from Carlos Martins.

The Andalusians held their hosts at bay though until Martín Cáceres was sent off for a second bookable offence midway through the second half. But Orteman scored for the Cantabrians almost immediately, firing a shot past Sorrentino and in off the far post after the defence only partly cleared an attack. And with the game coming to an end and everybody including the visiting keeper up for a corner, Coltorti threw the ball to Smolarek who rolled a shot into the empty net from just over the halfway line. The defeat left Recre down in the relegation spots, albeit only two points behind fourteenth placed Osasuna.