UD Almería went through every possible position in the standings during their final-day clash with Real Valladolid before Sergio Arribas fired the Rojiblancos to the top of the play-off contenders. A narrow but priceless victory, sealed by the man who has now claimed both the Pichichi top-scorer and Zarra awards in Spain's second tier, keeps UD Almería's dream of returning to LaLiga EA Sports alive.

The story is far from over. Little Red Riding Hood, dressed this time in red and white, escaped the jaws of the wolf and lives on, eager to rewrite the ending. UD Almería's lack of finishing touch turned the afternoon into an agonising suspense thriller, despite creating chance after chance. The first arrived just 50 seconds after kick-off when a short corner routine involving Embarba and Arribas ended with a header from Baptistão, brilliantly saved by the Real Valladolid keeper.

The warnings continued. Arribas came close with another header from a dangerous Luna delivery around the 10-minute mark. However, Pucela showed they had not travelled down south merely to make up the numbers. Latasa rose highest in the air and forced Andrés Fernández into his first major save of the evening.

That opportunity, combined with constantly changing results elsewhere, transformed the mood inside the Stadium. It was the period in which UD Almería's play-off hopes were at their most vulnerable. Fortune was tested repeatedly, but thankfully never turned completely against them.

In the 18th minute, Rodrigo Ely produced a magnificent intervention to deny what looked a certain opening goal, reading the intentions of the Real Valladolid attack perfectly. Soon after, Andrés Fernández delivered a remarkable double save, first stopping a fierce strike from Ponce and then springing back to his feet to deny Carvajal from the rebound. One save was spectacular, the other pure instinct.

As the first half progressed, UD Almería's position in the live standings continued to deteriorate. Third became fourth, fourth became fifth and eventually they dropped out of the play-off places altogether as rivals took the lead elsewhere. Yet Rubi's side continued to create opportunities. Arribas attempted a delicate chip over the goalkeeper, Embarba narrowly missed the crossbar with a powerful effort, and Álex Muñoz failed to connect with a loose ball near the penalty spot. By half-time, the Indálicos were seventh and outside the promotion places.

Second half

The hosts emerged from the dressing room refreshed and focused. Whatever Rubi said at the break had the desired effect. From the restart it was obvious which side had everything to play for. The crowd, boosted by the season's highest attendance of nearly 16,500 spectators, put aside any frustrations and rallied behind the team.

10 minutes into the second half, everything changed. A free-kick won and delivered by Embarba resulted in a penalty after Amath handled the ball inside the area. Arribas, who has carried much of UD Almería's attacking responsibility throughout the campaign, stepped up and made no mistake. His strike not only restored UD Almería to the top of the play-off standings but also took him to 25 goals for the season, securing both the Pichichi and Zarra awards.

The match-winning goal completely reshaped the table and this time, the positions would not change again. For the remaining 35 minutes, everything depended on keeping a clean sheet. Ironically, one of UD Almería's biggest weaknesses throughout the season became their greatest strength when it mattered most. The hosts defended with determination, grit and resilience to protect third place.

For 18 teams, the curtain has now fallen on the second-tier Segunda season. For UD Almería, however, the story continues. The Rojiblancos are one of the 4 sides still fighting for promotion to the top flight.