ELCHE LOSE BUT IT’S (STILL) OK…

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Alcorcon 1 Elche 0
Table-toppers Elche lost to third-placed Alcorcon by the odd goal, but this was a fairly even game that should have been a draw.

With seven more nail-biters to go the Illicitanos are still nine points clear of second-placed Girona who slammed Lugo 4 – 0, but more importantly ten clear of the same Alcorcon for automatic promotion. Elche were missing stalwart right back Suarez, Flano replacing him, otherwise Elche were at full strength, Mantecon still keeping Generelo out (good).

The Madrid team in their all-yellow strip are coached by Jose Bordelas, who managed Elche over the last three up and down seasons, each time missing out on promotion, only to cruelly lose his job when Elche finally fell away this time last year. Although the terraces were primarily yellow, there was a good representation of green and white as noisy Franjiverde supporters were seen – and heard!

One factor that got Elche into trouble last year was the endless bookings that caused suspensions at crucial times. It has looked this season as though Elche had learned their lesson, but not yesterday’s match. Early on Angel was booked after being pulled up for offside, stupidly booting the ball away but worse happened on the half hour as Peligrin injured himself and was booked before going off to be replaced by young Hector Verdes.

The strength of the Peligrin-Etxeita centre-back partnership has been one of Elche’s trump cards in the magnificent defence this year that has, even now only conceded 20 goals in 35 games. With no real chances for either side the score stayed 0 – 0 at half time, although Elche finished the half strongly after Sabadell had looked better earlier.

Five minutes into the second half and the home side won a corner. Elche cleared it, but immediately lost it again, and as the big Alcorcon defenders had come up, they were still there as the ball was returned high into the Elche area. Huge centreback Babin rose, completely unmarked, his powerful header giving Herrera in Elche’s goal no chance. The immediate Elche reaction is ‘he wouldn’t have been unmarked if Peligrin had been there’ – but he wasn’t, and so Elche were then chasing the game.

It became niggly as the Illictanos put the pressure on: Xumetra was taken off for Carles Gil, then captain Mantecon limped off for (useless) Pelayo, and in one glorious chance Coro had the ball whipped off his toe just in front of goal after a rare run from Fidel.

But with five minutes to go and bookings abounding everywhere Angel tripped his man, was booked again and angrily sent off – I hope he was disgusted with himself for letting Elche down, and not with the decisions (which were right). Very fortunately the 1 – 0 result doesn’t cause huge problems for Elche with the ten/eleven points cushion.

Yes, the goals have dried up and it is usually the superb defence which has kept the important points steadily coming in, so different to the last heartbreaking season when from a more vulnerable postion Elche were caught when their form went out of the window – like now – and after leading the league for the first six months ended with nothing in mid-table obscurity.

Next Sunday, appropriately at high noon, Elche are home to second-placed Girona, the form team. Let’s all hope the Illicitanos are getting over the slump that has only produced two goals in four matches – both in last week’s victory over bottom-placed Xerex – and one of those was a penalty!

Mucho Elche!

Filed under: http://www.theleader.info/article/38674/

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