Elche won tonight in Salamanca against Unionistas (0-1) in a cruel way, in the last minute and with an own goal by Fer Román, in a match in which the Salamancans offered a great image and were close to give another surprise in the Copa del Rey.
The people of Elche did not have their night and, except in slight moments of the match, they were dominated by Unionistas, without having great scoring opportunities and, in the end, they were lucky to find a goal they did not seek.
From the start of the game, Elche showed their idea of the game, playing and playing, while Unionistas pressed hard for the ball to come out, waiting to play quickly towards the goal that Kiko Casilla occupied today.
However, as the minutes went by, the Unionistas pressed the ball out of Elche, whose defense showed moments of weakness and insecurity that gave wings to a Salamanca team that offered an interesting face in these first 45 minutes.
Elche began with a game settled in the field, on artificial grass, and already in the fifth minute had the first opportunity in charge of Carrillo after a great pass from Pastore, although the local goal went ahead in the pass.
Little by little, the team trained by Francisco lost weight in the game, without settling the middle of the field, with insecurities in defense, and only tried for his band Piatti, without offering dangerous plays.
That moment, from minute 15, was taken advantage of by Unionistas to have the best opportunities against the goal defended by Kiko Casilla, thanks, above all, to wrong passes by the people of Elche who were taken advantage of by the Salamanca wingers to quickly and intelligence, endanger the goal of Elche.
Thus, in minute 10 Pitu Doncel lifted the ball before the departure of Kiko Casilla who was about to surprise him; in the 22nd minute Mandi Sosa fired from outside, well blocked by the goalkeeper from Elche; or on the 23rd, with a shot from Rayco.
Unionistas put the danger while Elche barely played, as demonstrated by the fact that the first shot at the Salamanca goal was made by Piatti in the 40th minute.
The second part began with more intensity for the Salamanca club, although Elche began to offer another image, more solvent, but without resembling a First team.
But it was a mirage, since the people from Elche continued to disappear, without noticing the difference in category, a First versus a First RFEF, and the Salamancans offered a great image, of a fighting team, which offers vertiginous attacks, but not They were right in front of the opposing goal.
The fog began to drop in minute 70 and the game went crazy, without Unionistas hitting the opposing goal.
And in the 93rd minute, a failure by defender Fer Román left the game sentenced, in a cruel way for the Salamancans, who had an opportunity at the last minute to send the game into extra time.
Unionists Salamanca: Salva de la Cruz, Mier, Ramiro, Fer Román, Salinas, Acosta, Mandi Sosa (De Miguel, m.90), Cris Montes (Iñigo Muñoz, m.60), Rayco, Pitu Doncel (Nespral, m.75) and Carlos de la Nava (Espina, m.61)
Elche: Kiko Casilla, Barragán (Palacios, m.66), Eixo Roco, Verdú, Josema, Piatti (Fidel, m.66), Guti (John, m.90), Gumbau, Milla, Pastore (Bri, m.75) and Guido Carrillo.
Goal: 0-1, M.93: Fer Román, own goal.
Referee: Del Cerro Grande (Madrid Committee). He admonished Cris Montes for the locals and Barragán and Palacios for the visitors.
Incidents: Game played in the municipal field of Reina Sofía before some 2,700 fans.
see match file