Two first-half headers in the space of four minutes gave unbeaten Villarreal a routine victory over Racing Santander at El Madrigal on Wednesday night.
The Yellow Submarine secured their third straight league win with goals from Joan Capdevila and Joseba Llorente, although visiting boss Juan Ramon Lopez Muniz will be bitterly disappointed with the manner in which his side allowed Angel time and space to put in identical crosses on both occasions.
Prior to those lapses in concentration, Racing had made a confident start and looked as though they might subject the hosts to a prolonged battle for control of the play.
The first real sight of goal for either team came after 15 minutes when Racing won a free-kick for what seemed an innocuous challenge on the edge of the area.
Young midfielder Pelaez Edu Bedia stepped up to take it but he couldn't clear the wall with his first attempt and scuffed a hurried effort with the rebound.
Moments later, the hosts were also given an opportunity to try their luck from a set piece in a central area, but Santi Cazorla sent his effort high and wide following an intricate exchange of passes in front of the penalty box.
It took 20 minutes for the first chance to arrive from open play and it fell to the visitors. Juan Valera raced on to a ball coming in from the right but Diego Lopez was alert to the danger and narrowed the angle at his near post, although the on-loan Atletico Madrid midfielder will have been disappointed not to find a way through.
Then the hosts broke the deadlock after 29 minutes with a goal that was simple in its execution.
Full-back Angel Lopez was awarded acres of space on the right, he came inside and floated a deep cross to the back post that Capdevila arrived unmarked to head home from close range.
However, the visitors should have leveled almost immediately. A cross from the left pitched itself at a nice height for Meme Tchite to convert, but the Belgian fluffed his chance.
The miss would prove costly when moments later the second goal arrived, and it was a carbon copy of the first.
Angel again had time to pick his spot and did not disappoint as he delivered another pinpoint cross, this time to a more central area, which Llorente gratefully put his head on six yards out to give Tono no chance.
After the break, clear-cut chances were few and far between, although the visitors did threaten on a couple of occasions just after the hour mark.
First Diego Lopez turned a volley Tchite round the post and then, from the resulting corner, he was equal to Gonzalo Colsa's point-blank effort.
Those fleeting moments aside, it proved to be a straight-forward exercise for the hosts and much-welcome workout for Nihat Kahveci.
The Turkish striker gave an industrious display and appeared to have no ill-effects when he was substituted to a standing ovation on 73 minutes.
