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Nteka strikes late to give Rayo Vallecano win over 10-man Elche
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- Nteka strikes late to give Rayo Vallecano win over 10-man Elche
MADRID (AP) — Rayo Vallecano left it late to beat 10-man Elche 1-0 and record its first La Liga win for almost a month on Friday.
The Madrid-based club had not picked up three points since beating bottom side Oviedo on March 4 but returned to winning ways thanks to a second-half goal from Randy Nteka .
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It was helped by the dismissal of Elche's Pedro Bigas six minutes before halftime.
The veteran center half was booked midway through the first half and picked up a second yellow for a high challenge and was shown a red card.
Pedro Díaz hit the post in the second half and Elche goalkeeper Matías Dituro made smart saves but Nteka got on the end of a nice cross from Álvaro García with 16 minutes remaining to give the home side the win.
It was the Angola international's first goal of the season and a vital one for Rayo, which climbed two places into 12th.
Elche remained in 17th spot, one place above the relegation zone.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
