Elche recorded a crucial 2-0 win away to bottom-of-the-table Cordoba tonight to move three points clear of the relegation zone in La Liga.
Goals in both halves from Enzo Roco and Chelsea loanee Mario Pasalic proved enough as Fran Escriba's side moved up to 15th and extended the hosts' winless streak to 13.
Despite having not won a Liga encounter since January, Cordoba started the better of both sides and went close when Nabil Ghilas planted a header just wide after six minutes.
Both sides exchanged blows for much of the first half, with Aaron Niguez driving wide of the post in Elche's first chance, while Fede Vico fired over the bar for the hosts on 24 minutes.
Something gave shortly before the break when Roco appeared to get the slightest of touches on Edu Albacar's deep free kick to divert it beyond the questionable Juan Carlos in the Cordoba goal.
Pasalic could, and certainly should, have doubled the lead after the break but, after running through one-on-one with Carlos, dragged his left-footed effort horribly wide of the mark.
The width of the woodwork was all that separated Cordoba from parity on 66 minutes when Rene Krhin guided a Bebe free kick against the post in a miss that proved costly.
Minutes later, Pasalic atoned for his earlier miss by heading past Carlos at the near post to double his side's lead, before the hosts' night went from bad to worse when Borja Garcia was sent off for headbutting Victor Rodriguez.
Jose Antonio Romero Morilla's side thought they pulled one back late on through Luso, whose goal was chalked off for offside.
Shane Callaghan
