Espanyol came into this encounter with just one win in their last five BBVA games, and the pressure has begun to grow on the hosts in recent weeks as they have slowly slipped down the table. The visitors were marooned in 16th position and had lost back to back games coming into the tie.
Elche started brightly and Edu Albacar shot just wide of the mark. However it was Espanyol who made the breakthrough on the 17' minute mark when captain Sergio Garcia bent a beautifully curling strike into the corner of the net from 25 yards out to send the home faithful into ecstacy.
Despite it being an even and competitive clash, neither side really looked like scoring after the opener, Vasquez came close to doubling the lead from outside the area as his shot was saved by Tyton, but generally Espanyol looked like they were on their way to a comfortable victory and three well earned points in their quest to finish as high up the table as possible and escape a late relegation battle with nine games left to play; but Elche snatched a goal from nothing when Herrera headed in the rebound from Jonathas' original saved effort.
Garcia was denied a late winner for his second of the game when Elche's Tyton denied him with a great stop to ensure that Elche returned home with a point in the relegation dogfight. The point moves Elche three clear of 18th placed Almeria, and they will be very pleased with the character shown to come from behind to salvage a point on the road.