Aloisi gives Alaves hope

Qantas Socceroo striker John Aloisi scored his 10th goal of the Spanish Primera Liga season, to bring Alaves to just one point from safety from relegation next season. Meanwhile FC Basel continues its march towards the Swiss title after winning overnight.

Qantas Socceroo striker John Aloisi scored his 10th goal of the Spanish Primera Liga season, to bring Alaves to just one point from safety from relegation next season. Meanwhile FC Basel continues its march towards the Swiss title after winning overnight.

Aloisi scored the first goal (19th minute) as Alaves beat Real Betis 2-0 at home. The win keeps Alaves in the relegation zone, but just one point in arrears of safety, with at least six teams just one win above them on the table.

Alaves has two games in which to avoid relegation back to the Spanish Second Division after just one season this time round in the Primera Liga. They will play 11th placed Real Zaragoza away next weekend, before finishing at home against Deportivo La Coruna, who are pushing for a UEFA Cup place.

The news wasn-t as good for Paul Agostino and Josh Kennedy in Germany-s Bundesliga II, with Agostino-s slipping a place to 14th after a 1-0 loss to SpVgg Unterhaching. They are now just one place above 15th place Dynamo Dresden, with whom Kennedy plays for, and are in the relegation zone four points adrift of 1860 and safety. Dynamo had a 0-0 draw away at promotion chasing Energie Cottbus, but they now must both their remaining games to have any chance of escaping the drop to the Regional Leagues.

In Switzerland, Mile Sterjovski did his chances of a World Cup Finals call up no harm, coming off the bench to replace his fellow Australian Scott Chipperfield, to score in FC Basel-s 3-1 win at Yverdon-Sports. The win maintains Basel-s three point lead at the top of the table and with a game in hand of nearest rivals FC Zurich, who they play in the final match of the season. Four points in its two games before the final match against Zurich will secure the title for Basel.

In Norway, Ahmad Elrich played almost the entire match for Lyn in a 2-2 draw, in a game which former Australian youth international Dylan Macallister made his run on debut for Lyn. He played a full game.