 Elphick mended his mistake when he scored his first goal of the season on 19 October 2009, in a 2–0 win over Gillingham.The 2009–10 season also saw Elphick's performance lacking, like he previously did in the previous two seasons, but soon improved under the new management of Gus Poyet after Slade's sacking.Elphick scored in the fourth round of the FA Cup, in a 3–2 against Aston Villa and went to score two more league goals against Exeter City  and Carlisle United.