In the end, football delivered for Elche in Mallorca with a win that felt like a turning point
Elche CF secured a 0-1 victory away at Mallorca this Saturday, thanks to a late strike from Lucas Boyé in the 88th minute. The match was punctuated by a controversial equalizer that Mallorca argued was canceled after a prior foul by Maffeo on Raúl Guti, a decision that sparked debate as many felt extra time had exceeded the six minutes indicated by the referee, Munuera Montero of Andalusia. For Elche, it was a moment that broke a long spell of misfortune and placed the team back into the conversation for safety this season.
The Green Franjiverdes traveled to Son Moix looking to end a long away-day drought and, crucially, to post their first victory on the road this campaign. The win also marked their first clean sheet away from home in the 2022-2023 season, a significant morale boost for a squad that had endured tough results for months.
Conclusion and reflection on the Mallorca-Elche clash: football sometimes writes its own stories, rewarding perseverance over time with a result that can alter a season. The narrative around this match centers on resilience, late-game finishing, and the controversial moment that tested the referee’s handling of stoppage time and discipline on the field.
Elche’s last notable triumph away from Martínez Valero had come on matchday 33 of the previous season. Back then, under the guidance of a coach at the time, the team earned a victory near Benito Villamarín with a decisive contribution from Tete Morente. A late goal in the 82nd minute sealed a promotion-like result that helped assure league status with several games still to play. Since that win, the Franjiverdes had gone through a rough run, especially away from home, where results lagged and confidence wavered.
Over the season, Elche had played 11 away fixtures and had not tasted victory in any of them. The run featured eight losses to prominent sides, including Betis, Villarreal, Barcelona, Rayo Vallecano, Valladolid, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, and Real Madrid. At home, they managed draws against Valencia, Espanyol, and Cádiz, bringing their total to twelve draws and one win against Mallorca earlier in the campaign. The inability to convert chances away from home had become a defining feature, and fans wondered when relief would come.
Meanwhile, Edgar Badía, known for his shot-stopping abilities, faced a stern test as the season progressed. The Catalan keeper endured tough moments, with the defense conceding a high number of goals. Yet this match against Mallorca offered a glimpse of stability, as Elche managed to keep a clean sheet in a difficult venue, a rare feat this season for a team that had been routinely breached at times by opponents that are traditionally tough to face.
With the 1-0 result, Elche moved to 12 points on the table, surpassing the double-digit mark for the first time and reaching 13 points in the fight to secure salvation. The path remains challenging with 14 games left to play and 42 points needed to feel remotely comfortable, but the victory injected renewed belief. The squad’s supporters, still wary from prior slumps, watched as players rallied around a common objective: fight until mathematical safety is achieved. Doubts about arbitration and the season’s prior negative run were acknowledged, but the focus turned to the work ahead—training ground routines, team unity, and a determination to collect points in the upcoming fixtures. In that sense, the Mallorca win acted as a catalyst, a tangible sign that resilience can yield rewards even in a grueling campaign. The broader narrative highlights a club that refused to capitulate and a squad that remains committed to pushing toward safety, no matter how steep the climb may seem. [Citation: match report and club updates]