York defeat seals McGhee fate

Athletic Bilbao and Malaga won in the Primera Liga on Saturday, while Getafe salvaged a point against Osasuna and Granada drew with Real Sociedad.

Malaga cemented their fourth position in the table with a 2-0 win at 10-men Sevilla in the late kick-off.

Martin Demichelis put the visitors ahead four minutes after the re-start and Sevilla's night then got worse when Federico Fazio was sent-off - and conceded a penalty - for a professional foul.

Eliseu converted the subsequent spot-kick in the 70th minute to seal the points for Malaga.

Aritz Aduriz's 11th-minute header consigned Real Mallorca to their ninth defeat in 11 league games, but Athletic Bilbao were just as thankful to goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz for the three points as they moved nine points clear of the relegation zone.

The visitors went in front with their first serious attack as Andoni Iraola's searching cross found Aduriz free at the back post to head home his 11th goal of the campaign.

Mallorca then created countless opportunities to get back in the game but Iraizoz was equal to efforts from Giovani Dos Santos, Tomer Hemed and Victor Casadesus before the break, whilst Victor also fired wide with an open goal after the interval.

Another defeat means that Mallorca's winless streak extends to 14 games in all competitions.

Diego Castro's penalty deep into stoppage time salvaged a point for Getafe against Osasuna in a game desperately lacking in quality at the Alfonso Perez Coliseum.

Both sides had one great opportunity to take the lead in the first half but neither Nino nor Alvaro Vazquez could convert when clean through on goal, and the game only came to life after Emiliano Armenteros had been sent off for the visitors 12 minutes from time for a wild lunge on Juan Valera.

However, despite losing a man, Jose Mendilibar's men seemed set for all three points when Kike Sola weaved a way through the Getafe defence to slot home six minutes from time.

However, Osasuna were cruelly denied a second away win of the campaign in the final minute of added time as Oier was harshly adjudged to have handled inside the area and Castro stroked home his fourth goal of the season.

Granada claimed a share of the spoils at home to Real Sociedad but failed to score for the fifth successive league game.

In a match of precious few chances at the Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenas, the hosts bounced back from shipping four against Malaga last weekend and moved out of the relegation zone on goal difference after the stalemate.

The Pirates, who suffered a fifth defeat in six matches to leave them languishing in the League Two relegation zone, were stunned by three City goals in five minutes.

Garry Kenneth put through his own net to hand the hosts the advantage and although Tom Eaves hit back a minute later, the Minstermen soon responded through Ashley Chambers and Jason Walker.

Chambers' struck again 12 minutes before the break to seal the win and McGhee's fate. His 11-month spell at the club was brought to an end soon after the post-match press conference.

"I'm one down from embarrassed, I'm humiliated and that maybe is the right word to describe the first half," McGhee said, speaking before the decision to dismiss him was announced.

"I always question myself first and I will do that first, but I also have to question the teamwork in a sense and that comes back to me ultimately. Once the players cross that line they have to be prepared to give us more in the first half.

"The shape in the early parts of the game gave us problems but it came down to individual situations such as stopping a cross and these things kill you.

"It gave us far too much to do. You can talk all you want about the chances we had before they scored and after and they were terrific chances.

"Second half was much, much better. It wasn't about them dropping off, it was about us stepping up from the start and giving us much more to get at them and create chances.

"Some of the defending in the first half was terrible but we improved second half."