Elche CF 3 RCD Mallorca 0
Following a strong run of form early in the new year, in which they collected 13 points from a span of six matches, Elche looked set to move clear of the fight at the bottom of La Liga, but they have since been dragged in as a result of their dip.
However, a victory against fellow strugglers Mallorca on Saturday, together with defeats for the teams directly below them, Rayo and Getafe, has redefined the relegation dogfight and effectively secured the Illicitanos position in La Liga for another season.
Francisco made six changes to the starting lineup. He also changed his system to get his most comfortable victory of the season against Mallorca.
With just half a dozen games remaining, Elche now sit 7 pts above the bottom three, a cushion that should be enough to ensure their permanence in the division, while for Mallorca, currently just one point above the drop, they will be looking anxiously at the Barcelona v Cadiz result on Monday, hoping for an emphatic Barca win.
This was an important and deserved victory for Elche who, after a fairly even start, dominated a large proportion of the game.
Guti and Fidel gave two clear warnings in the first half before Mojica opened the scoring just before the interval with a shot from a Fidel cross.
Despite a slight upturn in Mallorca’s performance following the break, they never really troubled the home side and when Pedro Bigas headed in the 2nd on 68 minutes from a set piece the result was never in doubt.
The two-goal cushion provided even more confidence to Elche who dominated the final quarter with the icing on the cake provided by an unfortunate 80th minute own goal from Mallorca’s South Korean substitute, Lee Kang In, under pressure from Tete Morente.
This was an emphatic win at home for Elche who, for the time being at least, move up to 13th, but with a trip to fifth placed Real Betis scheduled for Tuesday evening they have little time to celebrate their most convincing win of the season, still with plenty of work to do if they are to achieve the points that will bring mathematical certainty.
Images courtesy Elche CF
