Another win moves Antequera within reach of the play-offs

Antequera find themselves just outside the Primera RFEF play-off places after the side picked up their third consecutive league win on Saturday, beating Mérida 1-0 away from home.

The Malaga side capitalised on the numerical advantage they gained when Mérida's Manuel Bonaque was sent off for a foul on Ale Marín midway through the first half. They scored shortly afterwards when Loren's through ball found Luismi, who converted it clinically.

Mérida, energised by their passionate fans, responded in the second half as it became increasingly chaotic and physical. The referee tried to keep order with several yellow cards and Antequera used the breaks to their advantage to slow the game down.

Solano came close to scoring a second goal but, in the end, the score remained 1-0.

The three points move Antequera into a comfortable league position after what had been a poor start to the season.

In the division below, Marbella continue to impress as the surprise package of the season (16 out of 18 possible points), securing another victory (0-2 against Cádiz Mirandilla) to stay top of the table.

Jack Harper played a significant role, assisting Hugo Rodríguez for the opening goal in the 58th minute and scoring the second goal in injury time.

Neighbours Estepona, meanwhile, bounced back from their recent poor run with a 0-2 win against Linense. This first win under Ángel Rodríguez, with goals from Robin Lafarge and Sergio Moreno, not only earned them three points but also lifted them out of the relegation zone.

Elsewhere, Vélez (third) dropped two points against a Betis Deportivo side that were more defensively-oriented than expected. Gastón's header against the post and a remarkable save by Fran Vieites from Luismi's shot were the closest the hosts came to opening the scoring.

El Palo (16th), meanwhile, still can't win in front of their own fans. After their first win last week, the best they could do was play out a 1-1 draw against Antoniano. The visitors took the lead through Chalbaud goal in the 55th minute, but El Palo took just five minutes to level through Baka.

In the fifth tier, Juventud de Torremolinos (first) dropped their first points of the season, having to settle for a 1-1 draw at home against a defensively strong Poli Almería. The visitors took the lead in the 71st minute, but Fran Gallego led the comeback with an assist for Richard Gaona, securing a draw six minutes from time.

Atlético Malagueño (sixth) also couldn't break the deadlock this weekend, struggling in front of goal once more, resulting in a goalless draw at home against Torredonjimeno, who even had Urko sent off.

Málaga City (seventh) played out a goalless draw, too, but nonetheless remain undefeated. The woodwork came to the rescue for hosts Huétor-Tájar, keeping out a shot from Alberto Cuesta.

Torre del Mar (eighth), meanwhile, had to settle for a 1-1 draw in Maracena, despite Antonio López scoring again, his fourth goal of the season.

Struggling Rincón (16th) suffered yet another disappointment, losing 1-2 at home to Mancha Real with a goal from Juanca in the 90th minute.