Rubén De la Barrera's players gave it their all, closing the gap twice with goals from Valentín and Jefté Betancor. But all the effort came to nothing, compounded by the bad news of Iñaki González's expulsion during injury time.
The afternoon at the Ipurúa stadium had started off poorly for UD Las Palmas. Just 8 minutes into the game, Éibar was already enjoying a 2-0 lead on the scoreboard, with goals from Mada and Álvaro Rodríguez that José Antonio Caro couldn't stop.
The yellow goalkeeper had plenty of work in the first half, making some excellent saves from close-range shots. The most dangerous came from Martón, just before halftime, in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper. But Caro guessed the low shot and managed to block it.
Halftime arrived with a 2-1 lead for the Guipuzcoan team. Valentín Pezzolesi managed to reduce the deficit in the 23rd minute. The under-20 fullback advanced up the field to join the attack and finished at the far post after a good pass from his teammate Iván Jaime.
UD's chances in the first half were limited, although goalkeeper Magunagoitia also had to intervene to stop a good shot from Manu Fuster when the score was still 2-0 early on.
Las Palmas tried to turn the situation around in the second half. But the 3-1 in the 61st minute, scored by Javi Martón, restored a two-goal lead on the scoreboard. De la Barrera made changes from the bench, seeking at least a point in the final stretch.
Jefté scored the 3-2 after a play and pass from Elías with 5 minutes remaining. But the effort in the final moments didn't change the score, and the points stayed in Éibar's home ground.
