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After 14 games in La Liga this season, Elche remain winless, as they lie eight points adrift of safety ahead of facing Atletico Madrid in their first match after the World Cup on December 29.
Understandably after such a disastrous start to the campaign, the club have moved to appoint a new manager, with former Sevilla boss Pablo Machin taking the reigns at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero.
His first competitive match in charge will be against Segunda Division outfit CD Guadalajara in the second round of the Copa del Rey, which could provide a welcome distraction for his players given their precarious position in La Liga.
However, having beaten West Bromwich Albion 1-0 on Friday, Machin will be firmly focused on continuing to form an effective blueprint for greater success when another English side arrives in town on Thursday, ahead of a mountainous task in front of them in terms of surviving relegation.
Leeds, meanwhile, recovered some form prior to the Premier League season being paused, with Jesse Marsch relieving a decent portion of the mounting pressure on his job safety by guiding his side to two wins from their last three matches.
As such, the Lilywhites avoided heading into the break for the World Cup inside the relegation zone, but they can not afford to be complacent given that only two points separates themselves and Nottingham Forest either side of the dotted lines in the table.
Marsch clearly feels that his players require some match practice ahead of facing champions Manchester City at Elland Road on December 28, with Elche, Real Sociedad and Monaco all penciled in for friendlies between now and then.
Elche may be without Javier Pastore, Fidel and Jony Alamo due to injury on Thursday, with Machin unlikely to take risks over any doubtful players given that it is only a friendly.
However, the La Liga strugglers have had no players involved at the ongoing World Cup, so the 47-year-old should have the majority of his squad to select from as he looks to make an immediate impact from the managerial dugout.
Leeds, meanwhile, will allow Tyler Adams, Brenden Aaronson and Rasmus Kristensen to rest after their involvements with USA and Denmark – who have both been knocked out of the World Cup – in Qatar.
Patrick Bamford, Junior Firpo, Mateusz Klich, Jack Harrison, Luis Sinisterra, Stuart Dallas and Adam Forshaw are all injury doubts, while Illan Meslier and Kristoffer Klaesson have been struck by a virus in recent times, potentially leaving Marsch extremely short of options.
Elche possible starting lineup:
Badia; Lirola, Roco, Gonzalez, Clerc; Mascarell, Guti; Fernandez, Collado, Milla; Boye
Leeds United possible starting lineup:
Robles; Ayling, Koch, Cooper, Struijk; Roca, Greenwood; Summerville, Rodrigo, Gnonto; Gelhardt
In the week that the Bulls lost their most famous ex-player, FA Cup legend Ronnie Radford – 50 years on from his iconic match-winning goal against Newcastle – it briefly looked like there might be some left-over magic in the air.
For seven minutes, the sixth-tier outfit led after Miles Storey’s goal against the team 81 places above them in the English football pyramid in League One.
But Pompey hit back, with Reeco Hackett quickly levelling before second-half goals from Colby Bishop and substitute Joe Pigott earned the twice FA Cup winners a safe passage to Monday’s second-round draw
Making their first trip to Edgar Street in 38 years, Pompey were given a good first-half workout by the fired-up hosts.
Although home keeper Dale Eve had to keep out Hackett’s left-foot curler bound for the top corner, Pompey had a first real scare when Bishop’s challenge on Hereford’s former million-pound marksman Tyrone Barnett in the visitors’ penalty box went unpunished.
And there was worse to follow for Pompey when Hereford took the lead on 26 minutes.
Sean Raggett played a loose pass inside to Hackett, who was immediately closed down and robbed by Storey – and the former Pompey player raced away down the inside-left channel before keeping his cool to nutmeg on-loan West Bromwich Albion keeper Josh Griffiths.
Fittingly, just two days on from the announcement of the sad passing of Hereford’s legendary number 11, their modern-day number 11 emulated his predecessor.
There had already been a minute’s silence, which cascaded into applause from the whole ground, followed by chants of ‘there’s only one Ronnie Radford’ when the clock showed 11 minutes.
But this goal was destined not to prove so famous.
Ronan Curtis headed down Connor Ogilvie’s far-post cross for Hackett to bring down and fire home coolly from six yards.
On 63 minutes, Portsmouth took the lead when, from Clark Robertson’s in-swinging right-foot corner from the left, Bishop timed his run to get there first and head his 10th goal of the season.
And Pigott wrapped up victory 10 minutes from time when, again from a corner by skipper Robertson, Bishop won the initial header before Pigott reacted sharpest to sidefoot home
Hereford FC boss Josh Gowling told BBC Sport:
“I’m really disappointed because we should have got something out of it, but goals change games – and the quality of the delivery they have changes games.
“In the first half we were excellent. We were in the ascendancy and they looked nervous.
“We were on top and looked like we could go on and win, but we’ve made one mistake, it has cost us a goal and that’s the difference in levels.
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“We’ve given them a leg up and a little lift and you could see their performance raise after that.”
Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley told BBC Sport:
“I was so sad to hear the news about Ronnie Radford. He was such an iconic figure and he had that iconic moment. For a lot of people my age, his famous goal was their first memories of the FA Cup. But what a brilliant night to celebrate his life