Kakuta gives Rayo 1-0 win at Almeria in Spain

ALMERIA - The Associated Press

Gael Kakuta struck to give Rayo Vallecano a 1-0 win over relegation-threatened Almeria. The win put the club from the working-class Madrid district into 10th spot in La Liga.

Gael Kakuta scored with four minutes to play to give Rayo Vallecano a 1-0 win at Almeria in the Spanish league on Dec. 1.

The forward, who is on loan from Chelsea, used one touch to volley home Alberto Bueno's well-placed cross after Manucho had headed the ball forward to start the decisive move.

Almeria created several scoring chances in the first half, only to squander them all.

Jonathan Zongo fired high in the 21st before goalkeeper Cristian Alvarez stretched to save Tomer Hemed's strike and make amends for his errant pass that led to Almeria's best opportunity to score.

Rayo's second straight win lifted it into 10th place. Almeria remained winless at home this season and on the brink of the relegation zone.

"It's obvious that we let too many chances get away, and we ended up paying the price," said Almeria midfield Fernando Soriano. "But if we have to lose, let us lose this way. We showed desire and courage and this is the way forward."

Real Madrid tops the table after 13 rounds. Barcelona is two points adrift with defending champion Atletico Madrid trailing the pacesetter by four.

The league will resume next weekend after the midweek slate of Copa del Rey games.

Rayo Vallecano, famous for its left-wing leanings, made headlines last week when it rallied to pay the rent for an 85-year-old local that was being evicted due to her son's debts.

"We are going to help this woman, not just me, but the coaching staff, the players, the club," Rayo coach Paco Jemez said after it emerged that Carmen Martinez Ayudo, a resident of the club's neighborhood of Vallecas, was going to lose her house after her son used it as collateral in a deal unbeknownst to her.

Though Rayo has limited means, it has vowed to pay Ayudo's rent for the rest of her life.