Hope y'all had nice Easter holidays, now I'm back with a new set of updates. This week is an international week, so only some lower level leagues have action this week. Last week, however, was packed with action...
Croatia:
OK, so the three last matches before the second level is split up into a promotion playoff and a relegation playoff has been played. NK Novalja started by drawing Mosor Zrnovnica 0-0 at home, before losing 1-0 away at struggling NK Imotski. The "regular" season was however capped off with a 2-0 win at home to Croatia Sesvete. So, NK Novalja are second in the standings, 5 points behind Hrvatski Dragovoljac. Their home statistic is 7-3-1, while the away statistic is 4-2-5. Points are not halved, so they have 10 matches to catch those 5 points.
Third league west action has seen NK Krk lose 1-0 at home to Rudar Labin, before their away match at NK Zminj was postponed. The last recorded result is a 1-1 home draw against Orijent Rijeka. They fall one place to 5th in the table, but with a game in hand on several of the top teams. In the southern section, it looks like a lag of results is caught up. NK Pag has evidently played 6 after the last update on RSSSF; 2-0 home win against NK Arbanasi, 2-1 away win at Primorac Stobrec, 2-1 home win against Velebit Benkovac, 1-0 away loss at GOSK Adriachem, 1-1 home draw against Junak Sinj, before drawing 0-0 away at NK Omis. This good form (3-2-1) has moved them up a place to 10th, getting away from the relegation battle.
England:
Two weekends ago, Conference outfit Canvey Island lost 3-2 away at Gravesend & Northfleet. The following midweek saw them lose 1-0 at home to Accrington Stanley, and losing 3-0 at home to Carlisle United. Last weekend saw another loss, 1-0 away at Barnet. They are now 9 matches without a win, but still 18th in the table (with 7 points down to the relegation zone). 6 games remain, so they should stay up anyway.
Estonia:
Kuressaare have played two matches since last update. After their first win of the campaign, they lost 4-1 away at Trans Narva, before losing 2-0 at home to reigning champions Levadia Tallinn. They lose a place to 7th in the table, level with number 8 and 9.
Finland:
Nothing happened since last update, Quarter-Finals of the League Cup is played April 1st and 2nd.
France:
Ajaccio didn't win away last round either (11th in a row), but salvaged a 0-0 draw at Nantes. It's status quo with 18th place, 1 point away from a safe spot.
Bastia closed in, however, with a crucial 1-0 win at home to Metz. Anther Yahia (second of the season) scored the winner in added time, following up the win in their last home match. They are still 19th in the table, but level on points with Ajaccio only a point shy of a safe spot.
In National, GFCO Ajaccio have played 3 matches since last update. Two weekends ago, they drew 0-0 away at Bayonne. This was followed up by a 1-1 home draw against FC Sète, before losing 1-0 away at struggling Raon l'Etape. They plunged three places down to 11th, and have to start looking down in the table. They are 10 points above relegation, with (roughly) 10 matches left of the season.
Greece:
An upturn for both OFI and Kerkyra last week. OFI Crete managed a 1-1 draw at home to Olympiakos, winner of 7 of the last 8 championships. Although Giovanni gave Olympiakos the lead 20 minutes from time, Bulgarian Methodius Dejanov (4th of the season) managed to grab the equaliser 10 minutes later. Dejanov scored in his 3rd match in a row. OFI go one place up to 10th, but are only 3 points clear of the playout spot.
Kerkyra looked to be heading for a rare win, leading 1-0 away against solid Xanthi, but a penalty deep into added time meant they could only get a 1-1 draw. Senegalese Seyni N'Diaye (2nd of the season) scored Kerkyra's goal, in their first non-loss in 5 matches. They stay last, now with 6 points up to the playout spot.
Italy:
After a round of big wins and losses, this was the week of draws in Serie A. Messina drew 0-0 at home against Bologna, going a place up to 12th. The gap to the relegation zone is however down to 7 points with 9 rounds remaining. The match was actually their 3rd clean sheet in a row.
Cagliari continues scoring goals, drawing Livorno 3-3 away. This showed great determination, being down 2-0 and 3-2. Two goals from Honduran international David Suazo (6th and 7th of the season) just before half time, the first a penalty, and an injury time equaliser by Uruguayan Nelson Abeijon (4th of the season) provided the goals in a South American inspired performance It was their first point away in 4 matches, leaving them 9th in the table. Cagliari also went through to the Italian Cup Semifinals after a 3-2 away loss at Sampdoria, winning 4-3 on aggregate. Mauro Esposito scored both Cagliari's goals. They're the only island side to remain in a premier cup competition.
Palermo rebounded from their horrible home drubbing last round to draw 3-3 at Parma. They were however leading 3-1 after a Matteo Contini own goal, a penalty by Luca Toni (13th of the season) and an early second half goal by Franco Brienza (8th of the season). A quick penalty was however followed up by an injury time equaliser for Parma. They're still in 6th, but it starts to become increasingly difficult to reach 3rd place.
In Serie B, Catania won 1-0 at home to struggling Crotone last weekend, maening that they are 4-1-0 their last 5 home matches. They go up 4 places to 9th, showing the closeness of the middle of the table in Serie B. It's 5 points up to a promotion playoff spot with 11 rounds remaining.
Venezia have shown a better form lately as well, and they managed a 0-0 away draw at Salernitana this weekend. They remain second from bottom, but now "only" 6 points away from a playout spot.
In Serie C1-A, Sassari Torres got a rare away win, 1-0 at struggling Como, before slumping to a 2-0 home defeat against Pistoiese. They remain in 12th place, 6 points ahead of the playout zone. Acireale won 2-1 at home to Novara, before losing 2-0 away at Mantova. They go a place up to 16th, 3 points away from a safe spot. Acireale lost 2-1 away at Avellino in the return leg of the Serie C Cup Quarter Final, winning 3-2 on aggregate.
Portugal:
Marítimo made it 6 matches without a win, losing 2-1 at home to Vitória Guimarães. Guimarães took an early lead, but Marítimo equalised with a goal from Brazilian Márcio Ivanildo da Silva (1st of the season). The 1-2 goal came 10 minutes before the end to secore Alex' brace. Marítimo remain in 8th.
Nacional also lost last round, 3-2 away at a Gil Vicente team that had 5 straight losses in the league. Brazilian Alonso Matos (3rd of the season) reduced Gil Vicente's lead right before half time, and the 3-2 consolation came from Brazilian André Pinto (4th of the season) deep into injury time. Nacional fall a place to 10th.
In Liga do Honra, Santa Clara couldn't manage more than a 0-0 home draw against bottom club Alverca, after 3 home wins in a row. They remain 14th, only 2 points clear of the relegation zone.
Spain:
Another hard blow for Mallorca's hopes of staying up came with the 1-0 loss at home to Sevilla, courtesy of a 45th minute penalty. This match was marred by a horrific injury inflicted on Mallorca's Venezuelan Juan Arango, hospitalized after the incident. This aside, the inflictor wasn't sent off. The penalty was also preceded by the sending off of mallorca's Uruguayan Gonzalo de los Santos. Baptista was sent off late for Sevilla. Mallorca stay 19th, still 7 points away from a safe spot with 9 rounds remaining.
Tenerife got their sixth clean sheet in a row by drawing promotion candidate Eibar 0-0 away, before getting another draw, 1-1 at home to Lleida. These two draws meant that Tenerife lost 2 places to 12th, 8 points clear of the relegation zone with 12 rounds remaining.
In Segunda B, Lanzarote took a strong 2-0 home win against Rayo Vallecano, before losing 2-0 away at Atletico Madrid B. They stay 14th, still only 2 points clear of a playout spot. Universidad Las Palmas lost 1-0 away at Leganés (their first loss in 4 games), before drawing Castillo 0-0 at home. They are however still 2nd, only goal difference behind Real Madrid B. Fuerteventura drew 0-0 at home to Atletico Madrid B, and then crucially won 1-0 away at Vecindario. They are down a place to 18th, but only a point behind playout spot. UD Las Palmas lost 2-0 at home to Vecindario, before winning 2-0 away at Real Madrid B. They are one place up to 5th, 3 points behind the 4th spot.
Enjoy today's international action, before turning to club action again in the weekend
-- Vidar Jortveit Bergen, Norway
- "We're jumping like clocks" Norwegian ski jumpers trying to explain the revolutionary training methods of Mika Kojonkoski in an Oberstdorf press conference
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