Javad Nekounam plays 3min in Osasuna's relegation boost

Osasuna 2-1 Murcia

Dady put the hosts ahead with barely a minute on the clock and Juanfran doubled his side's tally in the 53rd minute.

Abel Gomez grabbed a consolation for Murcia deep into stoppage time but it was a case of too little too late for the already-relegated side.

Murcia had little to play for but pride, however Osasuna were playing for their Primera Liga lives.

Having lost their previous four games, the hosts were sitting in the relegation zone but they have now given themselves a bit of breathing space and are one point ahead of Real Zaragoza who replaced them in the bottom three.

Osasuna immediately gave the home fans something to cheer about as Murcia goalkeeper Fabian Carini's punched clearance rebounded out to him for a simple header high into the centre of goal from the middle of the area.

Juanfran almost doubled their lead seconds later but he fired narrowly wide of the left upright.

Dady could have got a second in the 17th minute but his powerful header from outside the box flew just wide.

Juanfran should have done better two minutes later as a latched onto a through ball from Dady and blazed it over the bar from the centre of the area.

Murcia came close to equalising on the half-hour mark as Daniel Aquino's effort from the edge of the area just brushed past the outside of the right-hand post.

Seconds later De Lucas saw a shot from the same distance saved by Osasuna keeper Ricardo.

Murcia were slowly grabbing a foothold in the game after a slow start but still never really tested Ricardo as the Osasuna defence managed to keep them at bay.

The hosts almost doubled their lead seconds from half-time but as Juanfran picked out Walter Pandiani but he blazed over from outside the area.

Hugo Viana should have grabbed the second three minutes after the restart as Dady headed the ball into his path but he sent his effort wide of the right-hand post.

Juanfran finally added another five minutes later as he fired into the top-left corner from a difficult angle.

Dady came close to putting his side further ahead but his header just brushed the top of the crossbar.

Osasuna missed a great double opportunity to increase their lead 10 minutes later as first Dady's shot was saved and seconds later Carini denied Viana as well.

Murcia only had one real effort on goal as Paco Pena saw Ricardo keep out his fierce shot from outside the area which seemed destined for the top corner.

But it was all Osasuna in the final 15 minutes as they searched for the third goal that would be the icing on the cake.

Dady should have grabbed it six minutes from time but he headed Viana's cross narrowly wide.

Osasuna could have extended their lead in the dying minutes but in the end it was Murcia that scored, in the seventh minute of stoppage time as Abel struck the ball into the top-right corner.