BONNEMBERGER Joffrey (Strasbourg Eurometropolis HB)
Beaten Friday evening at Pontault-Combault (34-26), Strasbourg is the first club mathematically relegated to N1, eight days before the end of the championship. In front, Dijon dominates the debates.
The season of Strasbourg is sportingly more than complicated, with only one victory acquired on the pitch in 22 outings. A victory that no longer appears in the ranking, since the Eurometropolis club saw it withdrawn on green carpet, due to the absence of a qualified coach and validated by the authorities on the bench of this meeting against Villeurbanne. Sanctioned by four penalty points, the Alsatians, last with -3 points in the standings, knew that their future would take shape in N1. It is now official, after this new defeat, logical, against Pontault Combault (34-26). Dia Mamadou Wora and his 12 goals could not push back the inevitable in the hall of a top 5 team, still carried by 9 goals from Jean-Pierre Dupoux.
Dijon continues to lead the dance
Matteo Fadhuile (Tremblay en France HB)
As for the rest of the championship, it is still led by Dijon, who have a comfortable three-point lead over their main rivals Tremblay and Saran, especially since Burgundy’s big victory against Tremblay last month (35-24). This weekend, Ulrich Chaduteaud’s men went to lay down the law on the side of Massy (27-34), with in particular the duo Steeven Bois – Bastien Khermouche in the role of sheriff (6 goals each). Saran also won wide success, at home against Besancon (37-25), while Tremblay achieved significant success at home against Frontignanthe surprise guest of the top 5 (40-35). Carried by Matteo Fadhuile’s 10 goals, the Tremblaysiens made the difference in the last ten minutes of the first period, before managing their lead well in the second act. Surprising second before kick-off, Frontignan fell to fourth place, level on points with Pontault.
Marco Mengon (Sarrebourg). Photo credit: Martin Remigy
The sixth qualifying jump seat for the play-offs is about to return to Caen, who widened the gap on his pursuers. The Vikings won comfortably at Valence (28-35), despite Baptiste Butto’s 10 goals on the Drôme side. Caen is still four points ahead of Bordeauxhis first pursuer, narrowly winning on the side of Cherbourg (28-29). Finalists in the championship last season, the Mauves will not return to Dijon this year, they are already 10 points behind their neighbor Caen while 16 points remain to be taken. Nancy complicated the task to join the race in sixth place by being forced to draw Villeurbannefirst relegable (26-26), in a game that ended with a last-second goal by Timoté Thuillier for the VHA. Finally, thanks to a goal also in the last moments of Marco Mengon’s game, Sarrebourg went for the colon in the bathroom Billere (27-28).
