Elche began their pre-season with a tough result, falling to their Newcastle United academy side in a spirited warm-up clash.
In Francisco’s starting lineup, attention focused on the emergence of several homegrown talents, notably Knezevic and Alfaro, alongside winger Salinas who rejoined Elche this summer after a loan spell at Unionistas de Salamanca last season. The first half belonged largely to the Franjiverdes, who created multiple scoring chances, including three clear opportunities through Pere Milla who was heavily involved in the attacking play.
The opener arrived ten minutes after the interval. A precise header from the target man away from Josan’s feed found the far side of the net, from barely half a meter off the left post. The Catalan forward immediately claimed credit for finishing a move he felt he had orchestrated herself. Moments later, the same protagonist intercepted a loose ball in midfield and sprinted through a one on one, forcing a save from the English center back as he charged toward the goalkeeper with the ball at his feet.
Between the chances, a tense, goalless first half unfolded amid a flurry of tackles and several protests directed at the referee, with Newcastle adopting a more aggressive approach that sparked a brief altercation. Francisco’s tactics impressed as his group pressed high and his instructions to Badia’s rearguard — including the newest arrivals — were clear and effective.
The second half mirrored the first in tempo, but Elche’s lineup was completely reshuffled. The English visitors capitalized on a lapse in concentration from a young squad member, Rodri, who seemed to momentarily switch off in defense. Ndiweni pounced, slid in behind the coverage and beat the goalkeeper to the near post, giving Newcastle a 0-1 lead.
From there, Elche continued to control the play. Mojica stood out at the top of the attack, delivering dangerous crosses and cutting inside with incisive dribbles, creating several options on goal. The equalizer arrived from one of these forays when Mourad showed good timing on a header from a well-delivered cross. After the hydration break, Newcastle tightened their defense and then doubled their lead on a counter when a defensive miscue allowed Nathan to fire in from a tight angle, sealing a 1-2 result for the visitors.
scorecard
ELCHE: Edgar Badia; Diego González, Pedro Bigas, Pere Milla, Fidel, Josan, Knezevic, Gumbau, John, Salinas and Alfaro. Substitutes: Werner, Roco, Raúl Guti, Tete Morente, Palacios, Mascarell, Mojica, Josema, Mourad, Carles Marco and Rodri.
NEWCASTLE U-21: Brown; Barclay, Wigget, Remi, Hackett, Stepmenson, Miley, De Bolle, Scott, Muñoz and Ferguson. Substitutes: Thompson, Oliver, Niau, Murphy, Bondswell, Stewart, Nathan, Huntley, Crossley, White and Ndiweni.
G TARGETS: 0-1 (49′) Ndiweni. 1-1 (66′) Mourad. 1-2 (78′) Nathan.
EVENTS: The first pre-season friendly match of Elche was played at La Finca Golf facilities.