Fabien Courtial (Saran Loiret HB). Photo credit: Panoramic
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In the shock of the summit of the Proligue, Cherbourg took the upper hand over Nancy (30-34). The Mauves are alone in the lead of the championship, after the defeat of Saran in Nice. Massy took over Sélestat, while Strasbourg won their first home game against Dijon.
In our article covering Proligue, we allowed ourselves to doubt the capacities of Cherbourg to go far in the second part of the season. These questions were swept aside for an afternoon. On the side of Nancy, faced with an opponent cut out for the rise in Starligue, the Cherbourg residents have been excellent and clearly show that they will have to be counted on until the end of the season. The start of the meeting is fairly balanced, and even turns to the advantage of Nancy around the first quarter of an hour. The backs Marko Curcic, former Cherbourg, and Danijel Vukicevic find the solutions at 9 meters, and the good defense around Luka Groff manages to block the Norman attacks (11-7, 18 ‘). Before the break, the JSC gradually returned to the score, in particular thanks to Chérubin Tabanguet. Injured most of the first part of the season, the Gabonese returned to form, and made an impression: explosive, he managed to surprise the Nancy defense and his powerful shots were difficult for Obrad Ivezic to stop. On the last penalty before the break, Tabanguet allowed himself a lob on the experienced GNMHB goalkeeper, which allowed the Cherbourg residents to return to the locker room with the advantage in the score (14-15, 30 ‘).
Nancy surprised at the start of the second period
Benjamin Braux (Grand Nancy Métropole HB)
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On returning from the locker room, Nancy falls in love. Sven Horvat makes a festival in the goals, Chérubin Tabanguet continues his recital with two goals and Kristian Ørsted, the Danish pivot giant, also finds the fault twice (14-19, 36 ‘). The Lorraine slump in attack did not last more than six minutes, but the GNMHB subsequently failed to reduce the gap. He is hampered by a Cherbourg defense which puts a lot of impact, and struggles to use its wings. Despite the rotations, Cherbourg remains consistent. Ten minutes from the end of the game, Frédéric Bougeant’s men keep four goals ahead (24-28, 50 ‘). Stops by Sven Horvat consolidate the lead of JS, who won the match after a new goal from Chérubin Tabanguet (27-33, 57 ‘), undoubtedly the man of the weekend in the Proligue with his twelve goals on thirteen shots (including 3/3 pen.). Nancy bows very logically (30-34), for the fourth time in a row, after having been unable to respond to a Cherbourg team which was solid, which offered an attractive and varied game in attack and was able to rely on a few individualities during key moments. Wouldn’t this be the Chinese portrait of a contender for the rise in Starligue?
Saran misses his return to Nice, impeccable Pontault in Sarrebourg
Alexis Bon (Nice)
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Saran also is a contender for the rise in the elite, but he did not really show his best light on the side of Nice. Very early in the match, Fabien Courtial’s men find themselves behind in the score (7-4, 11 ‘). On a nice serve from Arthur Muller, Hadrien Ramond equalized for the Septors (10-10, 19 ‘), but Nice remained in front, and widened the gap in the last five minutes before half-time. In the absence of Joan Amigo Boada, Matthieu Limousin did a very good job in the lead and gave his team three goals (17-14, 30 ‘). In great difficulty in defense against the high tempo impressed by the Aiglons, Saran failed to reduce a gap that widened after returning from the locker room (19-14, 34 ‘). With in particular an Alexis Bon once again impeccable and prolific (8/8 shooting), the Cavigal retains a significant advantage for several minutes (25-20, 45 ‘), before Saran finally wakes up with a change of defense and a Nicolas Gauthier a little more present. Problem, Quentin Eymann’s shot to return to -1 found the crossbar (27-25, 54 ‘), and Nice took the lead directly thanks to Axel Oppedisano (29-25, 56’). The Azureans manage their end of the match and win a victory (34-29) which does not suffer from any dispute. Saran will have to recover against Besançon next week.
Jean-Pierre Dupoux (Pontault-Combault). Photo credit: Martin Remigy
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The Saranese are joined in second place in the standings by Pontault-Combault. The Parisians were on the side of Sarrebourg this Saturday. The Sarrebourgeois, just winners of Nancy in the middle of the week, saw themselves getting a second team from the top of the table. But the Mosellans are too messy (17 losses of ball) and start to pick up the score shortly before half-time (8-8, 22 ‘; 9-14, 30’). The PCHB has the game in hand, and will not let go. Rookie Dmytro Gunko gives the 77 club seven goals (14-21, 42 ‘), and the end of the game is managed by Chérif Hamani’s men who win without trembling (21-28). With notably six goals from Jean-Pierre Dupoux, Pontault is now second, while Sarrebourg remains first non-relegation.
Massy takes over Sélestat
Jules Portet (Massy Essonne HB)
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The opposition between Massy and Selestat The duel between two underdogs for the qualification for the Proligue Finals at the end of the season was a good smell. Massy achieves the best start (4-1, 6 ‘), but does not manage to widen the gap on his opponent. The red card for Nassim Bellahcene (13 ‘) after a throw of seven meters in the face of Hugo Kriszt, yet in motion and in the air, handicaps the Massicois early in the meeting. The Selestadians defend well, but are not fair enough in attack. The gap at the break is not prohibitive for the Alsatians (12-10, 30 ‘). Back from the locker room, Massy manages to shoot three times next to the goal left empty by the SAHB, which remains in the match and even takes the advantage by Thomas Capella (12-13, 36 ‘), the match’s top scorer with eight goals. The match was undecided for a long time (19-19, 48 ‘), but Massy gained the upper hand at the end of the game with better control. The entry of Jérémy Hakkar in the goals is decisive for the MEHB which takes three goals in advance in the money-time (23-20, 57 ‘) and wins on this gap (25-22).
Christophe Viennet (Sélestat Alsace HB)
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What arouse the satisfaction of Jeremy Roussel. “We played the game we wanted to play, underlined the coach of the Essonniens at the end of the match. We showed a lot of defensive control, after offensively there is still work. We went back to basics, with a tough defense. “ A l’inverse, Christophe Viennet railed against the lack of control of his own. “You can’t imagine winning a game by losing 20 balls, he blurted out. We had a good defensive backbone during the match, but in attack it is much too weak, we are very naive. “ If this problem is not new for his team, it is precisely the fact that this offensive inconsistency continues that poses a problem for the SAHB technician. “There was room, but it would have been necessary to show more maturity, technical requirement, he adds. I also question myself, because I can’t help them find the keys to help them find the offensive binder. “ The Alsatians will have to find the solutions this week in training before an important match against the promoted Sarrebourg on Friday.
Dijon falls to Strasbourg
Xavier Moreau (Strasbourg)
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Moving to Strasbourg was a real test for the ambitions of Dijon in this second part of the season. But in Alsace, the Burgundians fell on a bone. However, Strasbourg was quickly handicapped by the exit on injury of its goalkeeper Romain Mathias, then by that of its center-half Ondrej Mika. Dominators at the start of the meeting (1-5, 7 ‘), the Dijon are gradually joined by the Strasbourg (10-10, 20′), before regaining the advantage before the break (11-13 , 30’). But Strasbourg remains consistent. Coming back from a long injury, Xavier Moreau is precious and allows his family to take two goals in advance shortly after the return from the locker room (16-14, 37 ‘). Lacking control, Dijon found himself running behind the score, but remained in contact. The two teams are neck and neck until the end of the meeting. In the last minute, Maxime Duchêne made a decisive save in front of Vincent Maguy, and Strasbourg had the last action of the match in their hands. Just before the siren, this last action is concluded by Xavier Moreau, top scorer (8 goals) and man of the match for this victory for the Blues, the first in their gym in Malteries since the start of the season (23-22). “I think we really needed the group to start a different spiral than the first part of the season, blows the rear of the SEHB at the end of the meeting, at the microphone of the live broadcast organized by the club on its Facebook page. I hope that will start a positive second half of the season for us. “ Strasbourg glued to Sarrebourg in the standings, while Dijon fell back to sixth place.
Important successes for Billère and Valence
Corentin Boe (Billère). Photo credit: Panoramic / K.Domas
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The success of Strasbourg is also valuable in the context of the 14e day, where two duels opposed teams at the bottom of the standings. Traveling to Besancon, Billere raced ahead for most of the game. In a match where attacks were largely in the spotlight, the Béarnais delivered the best first period, with no less than 21 goals scored and six goals ahead at the break (15-21, 30 ‘). But Besançon tightened its defense in the second period, and managed to reduce the gap (27-29, 47 ‘). A ball to get back to a goal gap was however repelled by Joris Labro, the BHBPP goalkeeper, and Billère held his lead of at least two goals in the last ten minutes. The match was folded on a goal from Corentin Boe less than three minutes from the end (30-35, 58 ‘) and Billère won a very important match for the maintenance race (32-36). The Pyrénées-Atlantiques club takes three points ahead of its evening opponent and keeps the red zone at bay.
Sylvain Kieffer (Valence HB)
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Good operation also for Valence in front of Angers. After ten balanced first minutes (5-5, 10 ‘), the Drômois made the hole in the middle of the first period (11-6, 19’) and returned to the locker room with five goals ahead (16-11, 30 ‘) . The start of the second period was fatal for the Angevins who then lost too many balls and who took full water in all areas of play (24-12, 42 ‘). The gap is made, and Angers does not manage to reduce it at the end of the meeting (35-23). With a big performance from Artur Adamik (15 saves) and ten goals from Sylvain Kieffer (including 5/5 pen.), The Valentinois keep three points ahead of the red zone, thus managing to keep Strasbourg and Sarrebourg at a distance despite their successes of the week. Conversely, Angers, deprived for this meeting of Maxence Rizzi, Grigorios Ioannou and Kristjan Anatasovski, is the new red lantern of the championship, with five points. The reception in Nice next week is of paramount importance for Guillaume Dupin’s men.
Find the standings and upcoming calendar on the Results tab.
Mickaël Georgeault, with Kevin Domas (in Massy)
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