With no draw in eight top-flight meetings between these two sides, it was no surprise to see both teams going full-pelt from the very outset.
The first memorable chance fell the way of Alvaro Garcia, who stung the palms of Edgar Badia, before the Elche stopper was left powerless as Florian Lejeune powered a header past him, only for the assistant’s flag to spare his blushes.
Opposite number Stole Dimitrievski had no such fortune on the half-hour mark though, when he flew out in an attempt to gather Gerard Gumbau’s corner, but found himself in no man’s land and allowed Lucas Boye to head home into an empty net.
However, Badia’s luck also ran out five minutes before the break, when he was left rooted to the spot as Sergio Camello’s deflected strike dropped into the corner of his net.
There only seemed to be one side in the ascendancy, but Vallecano were struggling to break down Elche’s resistance.
Even so, Isi Palazon was proving to be a bright spark in the hosts' attack, and the tricky Spaniard curled an effort agonisingly wide of the post, before testing Badía from distance.
A last-ditch Pere Milla block then denied what looked to be a certain goal for Lopez, as a tight game hung in the balance.
García spurned what seemed to be Vallecano’s best opportunity to snatch all three points late, flashing an effort across the face of goal that was too wayward to find the target, but also beyond the reach of a teammate.
There was to be a late twist in the tale though, as Lopez popped up to thunder home from the edge of the area, and ensure Elche remain winless in LaLiga this season, while equalling their worst-ever run of successive top-flight defeats.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Alvaro Garcia (Rayo Vallecano)