Mikel Arruabarrena scored the only goal of the game as Eibar beat Malaga 1-0 to end an 11-game winless streak and move six points clear of danger in La Liga.
Both sides put a tedious first-half display to one side and emerged stronger from the break, with Arruabarrena breaking the deadlock with a header on 52 minutes.
Javi Gracia's side huffed and puffed but the visitors failed to do enough to snatch a point.
Below, relive Sports Mole's live text commentary.
Good evening and thanks for joining me in this live text coverage of Malaga's trip to struggling Eibar. Actually, 'struggling' is an understatement, considering they're three points above the relegation zone and haven't won in 11 games - losing nine of those! Yep, on current form, our hosts tonight will do very well to stay up - but the visit of Malaga represents a decent chance to put an end to their woes and boost their survival hopes.
Javi Gracia's Malaga have been, well, in mixed form. They've won three and drawn four of their last eight - with a 1-0 win at Barcelona thrown in for good measure - but, despite their heroics at Camp Nou, they haven't fared overly well on the road so far and we just can't rule out a rare victory for Eibar.
Before we go any further, let's get cracking on a bit of team news shall we? Of course. Stay tuned.
EIBAR XI: Irureta; Boveda, Anibarro, Capa, Arruabarrenna, Borja, Dani Garcia, Lillo, Didac Vila, Javi Lara, Saul Berjon
MALAGA XI: Kameni; Rosales, Weligton, Angeleri, Boka; Tissone, Recio; Horta, Juanmi, Juanpi; Javi Guerra
EIBAR SUBS: Jaime, Ekiza, Errasti, Lekic, Boateng, Manu
MALAGA SUBS: Ochoa, Amrabat, Flavio, Samuel, Duda, M Torres, Darder
Right let's start with our visitors and looks like Gracia has made five changes from that 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad. First, Marcos Angeleri replaces Sergio Sanchez in defence, while Fernando Tissone, Ricardo Horta, Juanpi and Javi Guerra come in for Sergio Darder, Nordin Amrabat Garcia Samu and Samu Castillejo. No messing about from Malaga.
No messing about from Gaizka Garitano either, with the Eibar coach making FIVE changes from his side's 2-1 defeat to Rayo Vallecano. Goalkeeper Jaime is given the boot for Irureta Xabier, with Borja, Dani Garcia, Manuel Lillo (the ones you have to blow up yourself) and Javi Lara coming into the fold. Raul Navas, Jon Errasti, Dani Carrillo and Federico Piovaccari are among those who drop out :(
By virtue of the fact that they've scored three times in their last 10 outings, you could say that Eibar aren't exactly flush with attacking talent, but who's most likely to give them a bit of inspiration? Probably Mikel Arruabarrena who, with six goals, is the minnows' leading goalscorer this season.
What about Malaga? Well they're not setting any goalscoring records either, with seven-goal Juanmi their leading scorer this season. Honestly, all the signs point to a rather drab affair this evening, but how often have these type of games turned out to be the classics? Let's hope this one is no different. Kickoff not far away now.
PREDICTION! Right, we're about four minutes from showtime so let's see if we can't predict the outcome - and I'm going to be brave and predict a 1-0 home win. As discused, Malaga have struggled against the lesser teams - especially away from home - and it wouldn't surprise me to see Eibar end their truly dismal run of form. Feel to free lodge your own prediction by emailing yourpredictionwontreachme@lies.com.
Both sets of players filter out on to the field and we're moments away now, my friends. @Idontexist has gotten in touch on Twitter and he thinks we're in for a cracker, as opposed to @Ialsodontexist who thinks we're in for a drab affair. Let's see who's right.
KICKOFF! Aaaaaaaaaaaaand we're off at the Ipurua Municipal Stadium, my friends. Malaga, playing from right to left, kick us off. Let's go!
SHOT! We've seen our first shot of the game, and it's not a great one as Malaga midfielder Fernando Tissone drives well over the bar from about 30 yards. Back to the training pitch for you my friend.
CLOSE! Eibar, in their first real attack, come quite close to opening the scoring, as Ander Capa delivers the sweetest of crosses into Malaga's danger zone, but Berjon just hasn't got long enough legs to poke it into an empty net. Promising, though.
Eibar look up for this you know. They're not playing like a team who have lost nine and drawn two of their last 11 games and I still fancy them for a rare win this evening. Good start.
SHOT! This is poor from Ricardo Horta, who curls a tame effort into the grateful arms of Irureta, but he had options either side of him and perhaps he should've used them. Looks like Tissone will have some company at shooting training tomorrow.
SHOT! You can kinda see why Eibar haven't won since January 10, and only scored three times in 10 games, and it's because their forwards aren't very intelligent footballers. Saul Berjon has just tried to lob goalkeeper Carlos Kameni from outside the box; problem is, he wasn't anywhere near off his line, which is a prerequisite for a lob really isn't it.
SHOT! Finally we've seen a shot worth discussing, and it's Recio, who looks to bend one past Irureta from outside the box but his effort just shaves the far post. Decent attempt.
Good grief this one has been really sloppy at times, and Juanpi has just passed a very simple pass out of play, leaving Arthur Boka mystified. He's not the only one. I don't get how something as basic as passing can elude so many professional footballers sometimes.
Good defending by Malaga's Roberto Rosales there as he gets across really well to prevent Arruabarrena from tapping home Capa's excellent cross.
If this first 20 minutes is anything to go by then it looks like Eibar are targetting Malaga left-back Arthur Boka, because all of their attacks have come down his flank thus far, with Capa delivering some really good balls into the box.
BOOKING: We've seen our first yellow card, and it's not a great decision by the referee as he books Horta for diving in the box. Problem is, it was a stick-on penalty!
DISALLOWED GOAL! Eibar think they have the lead, but it's chalked off for offside when Arruabarrena tapped home from close range after Kameni palmed away Berjon's stinging shot. It looked dubious, not going to lie.
Very little to report in recent minutes as both sides continue to cancel each other. Eibar probably marginally the better team, who have had the better chances, but this one could go either way. It's really tight.
10 minutes left in the half then and Berjon wins a corner off Recio. Eibar getting stronger as the half grows older I think, but that corner comes to nothing as Kameni plucks it out of the sky.
Not going to lie folks, the tempo has been sucked out of this one to the point where it seems like both sets of players are just waiting for half time. Problem is there's about seven minutes left so, you know, that's quite a long time to score a goal.
This might be promising as Eibar have won themselves a free kick in a dangerous area. It's one of those where, if you're taking it, you don't know whether to shoot or cross. Let's see Javi Lara does.
SAVE! And Javi Lara shoots! But his curling effort is tipped over the bar by Carlos Kameni, and the subsequent corner comes to nothing.
HALF TIME: EIBAR 0-0 MALAGA
Well that was, okay. Only okay? Yes. Malaga could, and probably should, have had a penalty but that's about all that came from them. And Eibar have had a few half chances and a disallowed goal that may or may not have been the right call. It was slightly suspect.
RESTART! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand we're back underway, my friends. Let's hope that the second half throws up a few goals, and if not goals then talking points because we're running low on both.
Pretty slow start to the half, in what has been a continuation from the first half rather than a clean slate, but Malaga on top at the moment. Problem is they don't have much going for them in the final third!
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL! Eibar 1-0 Malaga (Mikel Arruabarrena)
We flagged him as Eibar's danger man prior to kickoff, and Arruabarrena has vindicated us as the striker heads Javi Lara's corner into the top corner beyond the helpless Carlos Kameni. We've got lift-off.
Ugh, what a waste this is. Malaga look to get back into the game as soon as possible and they won a free kick in a promising position, but Juanpi's delivery is so, so bad and it floats over the bar.
DISALLOWED GOAL! Eibar grab their second disallowed goal of the night as Ander Capa expertly finishes off what was a really good move by the hosts, but he's ruled offside. Was it the right decision? I don't know because, for some reason, Spanish television stations do not like replays.
CLOSE! Recio looks to grab this game by the scruff of the neck, but his 30-yard hit sails narrowly over the bar. He's been Malaga's most threatening player by a street.
Incidentally, Eibar are 14th as it stands, six points clear of the relegation zone. What a huge win this will be for them if they can hang on.
They've got a bit of work to do in order to move six points clear, though, because Malaga are coming on strong now. Looks like that Arruabarrena goal has finally given them a kick up the you know what.
SHOT! Really, really, really bad effort from Nordin Amrabat, who surges through Eibar's midfield until he reaches their box, where he fires a tame shot into the arms of Irureta. Not good enough I'm afraid.
It's just occurred to me that there's only 17 minutes of normal time left and, aside from the goal, we actually haven't seen a clear-cut opportunity from either side. It hasn't been a cracker by any means, but Eibar won't care in the slightest if they hang on.
Good defending from Lillo to cut out Horta's incisive pass. He had to, otherwise the virtually anonymous Juanmi might've had his first shot of the game.
CHANCE! We've seen our first real chance aside from the goal, and what a chance it is as Eneko Boveda heads straight at Carlos Kameni from about four yards out. Either side of him and it's a goal and Eibar are probably going six points clear of danger. Instead, it's going to be a nervy last 13 minutes.
Incidentally, we said 1-0 Eibar in our pre-match prediction, didn't we? Unfortunately I didn't back it. Hold me.
SUB: Eibar make their first change as Manu del Moral replaces Berjon Saul for the last eight minutes or so. He's done well tonight Berjon.
Five minutes remaining then and, as it stands, Eibar are doing their survival chances no harm at all, with victory lifting them up to six points clear of danger. I'll go out on a limb and say they'll hang on to this win because I don't see Malaga scoring in truth.
BOOKING: Eneko Boveda goes into the book for time wasting. Standard.
THREE MINUTES ADDED ON: That's plenty of time, isn't it?
SUB: Eibar eat away a few more seconds by replacing Ander Capa, who's been brilliant all night, with Derek Boateng.
FULL TIME: EIBAR 1-0 MALAGA
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we'll call it there folks. Eibar, who hadn't won in ELEVEN games prior to tonight, get the monkey off their backs thanks to Mikel Arruabarrena's 52nd-minute winner. They go six points clear of the danger zone! Fair play to them.
Well, that's all we've got time for tonight ladies and gents. Hopefully you've enjoyed our live text commentary and we'll see you next time. Have a pleasant week!
