YES! ELCHE WIN AT LAST…

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ELCHE 2 REAL VALLECANO 0
On a cold, wet Saturday evening at the mighty Martinez Valero stadium, Elche got back to winning ways at last after five frustrating games with a massive win over opponents who are next to bottom, for whom nothing went right on the night. Oh, how Elche know that feeling…

Local hero Christian Herrera started the match, with Javi Marquez beginning to look more of a fixture in midfield: Elche otherwise as expected at full strength. Rayo beat Elche 3 – 0 on the opening day of the season in Madrid, and from the first whistle it looked like the Illicitanos were out for revenge, with Coro’s wayward shot over the bar after only 4 minutes – although Rayo’s right winger Lass pulled his shot wide in return.

On the quarter hour Rayo conceded a penalty following Albacar’s free kick wide on the left: Christian turned in the box and supplied Coro who was dragged down straight in front of goal, the referee having no hesitation – and sending off Baena as a result.

I can’t remember reliable Albacar ever missing a penalty in four years, he duly obliged as usual, and the Franjiverdes were on their way. Considering Rayo were down to ten men they put up a fight, but for the next fifty-four minutes the home side huffed and puffed with many more chances, but, as in recent nail-biting games the ball would not go in.

Cristian had two good chances but spurned them both, and on the hour Aaron pulled a beauty back for Coro – you wouldn’t believe anyone could get a shot so high over the bar from close in. It’s not only him, Carles Gil is the same, the on-loan Valencia player looks out-of-sorts too.

The second half was virtually all one way with so many chances wasted: the finger for Elche’s lowly position is firmly pointed at their strikers but also at the midfielders, whose job it is to provide the ammunition. No shortage of chances in this match for the strikers, but it took another midfielder, Javi Marquez to slot the ball home eventually and at last make the scoreline respectable.

It was substitute Boakye who fought for the ball to lay it off for Marquez, as Carlos Sanchez replaced Ruben Perez. A pleasing touch was Manu coming on for Aaron, it had been reported the striker was out until the end of the season, his return bodes well as Elche have so few goalscoring options and the lack of goals is the problem this critical season.

The 2 – 0 scoreline gave the home side some breathing space for the last 18 minutes as Rayo never looked like scoring. Anyone’s got a chance one goal behind though, all home fans still bitterly remembering last week’s last minute equaliser by Seville – and others…

Next weekend Elche are away to Real Sociedad in the Basque Country, who are going well in sixth place. Elche should have beaten them in the first home of the season back in August, where to terrific excitement Coro scored after only two minutes, only to eventually be pegged back to 1 – 1 near the end.

Is this win the turning point of the season, or did the sending-off and penalty help provide Elche with a lucky, but most-welcome win? Elche had so many chances it could have been double figures, but the visitors are in a desperate place.

Happily the Franjiverdes have climbed away to 15th, and are only 4 points behind Espanyol in 8th, so competitive is the middle portion of La Liga – those recent points dropped by Elche are really rued.

Mucho Elche!

Photos Kevin Rendall

Filed under: http://www.theleader.info/article/42292/

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