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First Division - Day 10

Elche 2 - Espanyol 1

Elche: Tyton; Damián Suárez, Enzo Roco, Lombán, Domingo Cisma; Rodrigues, Mosquera, Pasalic (José Angel 80’), Víctor Rodríguez (Edu Albácar 90‘); Jonathas, Cristian Herrera (Coro 73‘). 4-4-2.
Espanyol: Kiko Casilla; Javi López, Colotto, Alvaro, Fuentes; Lucas Vázquez, Alex Fernández (Joan Jordán 59‘), Cañas, Paco Montañés (Salva Sevilla 76‘); Stuani, Sergio García (Caicedo 59‘). 4-4-2.

Goals:
1-0. 19. Jonathas. Got in front of Casilla to head long Roco centre in to net.
2-0. 52. Jonathas. Picked up Víctor Rodríguez pass and poked shot past keeper.
2-1. 86. Stuani (penalty). After Cisma blocked Cañas shot with his arm in area.

Yellow cards: Pasalic 14’, Cañas 26’, Cisma 31’, 85’, Rodrigues 61’, 75’, Jonathas 84’ / red cards: Jonathas 75’, Cisma 85’.

Elche are out of the drop zone after they won 2-1 against Espanyol in the last game on Sunday evening. Fran escribá’s side were looking for their first home win, and Jonathas brought an early save out of Kiko Casilla. Referee José Antonio Teixeira disallowed headed goals by Cisma and Stuani within minutes of each other for what he considered to be previous fouls in the play, and with twenty minutes gone Jonathas got on the end of a long Roco cross to head in the opener. For the rest of the first half though the visitors were on top, Tyton making saves from Sergio García and Stuani, and Damián Suárez blocking a Montañés header on the line with the keeper beaten. Early in the second half there was another controversial refereeing decision when Lombán’s free kick hit the crossbar and appeared to bounce over the line, but soon afterwards Jonathas ran on to a Víctor Rodríguez through ball to score his side’s second. With quarter of an hour to go though Rodrigues was sent off after picking up a second booking for a foul on Cañas, and with five minutes remaining Elche were left with nine men when Cisma was also shown a second card for blocking a Cañas shot with his elbow inside the penalty area. Stuani fired home the resulting spot-kick to set up a frantic finish, although in the end the locals could have won by a bigger margin had Mosquera’s shot not come back off the upright.