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Cordoba's stay in the Primera Division is fast coming to an end after they suffered an 11th defeat in 12 matches, going down 2-0 at home to fellow strugglers Elche.
Both of Elche's goals were headers from set-pieces, with Enzo Roco opening the scoring just before the interval and Mario Pasalic doubling the lead midway through the second half.
Cordoba's hopes of getting anything out of the match were then all but crushed when they lost Borja Garcia to a straight red card late on after the midfielder appeared to head-butt Victor Rodriguez.
Elche's win puts them three points clear of the drop zone but Cordoba, who now taken just two points from a possible 39 since beating Rayo Vallecano on January 12, are nine points adrift of safety and seemingly destined for an immediate return to the Segunda Division.
The Andalusian club, who went up via the play-offs last season having finished seventh in the standings, incurred the wrath of their supporters with Sunday's performance as they barely made visiting goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton work for his wages.
And at the other end of the pitch, slack defending allowed Elche to score both of their goals.
The first came in the 41st minute when Edu Albacar launched a long curling free-kick into the area which Roco got the slightest of touches on to head past Juan Carlos.
It was a soft goal to concede, and it was a similar story in the 68th minute when Pasalic was allowed to head home completely unchallenged at the far post after Faycal Fajr's inswinging corner had cleared Juan Carlos and a home defender.
Moments before that goal Cordoba actually came within inches of snatching an equaliser as Rene Krhin saw his glancing header come back off the post, but Pasalic's goal was a real blow to the home side and their increasing frustration was summed up by Borja's 81st-minute dismissal.
Rodriguez reacted angrily after the pair had challenged for a high ball and, as he approached Borja, the Cordoba man put his head into the face of his opponent, who went sprawling to the ground.
Borja was shown a straight red to further hamper Cordoba's challenge and although they thought they had pulled a goal back in the 86th minute, Luis Delgado was rightly adjudged to be offside and another defeat was theirs.
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ELC
