Fertiberia BM Puerto Sagunto beaten despite misleading scoreline

Fertiberia BM Puerto Sagunto lost 33–31 tonight against Fraikin BM Granollers, in a match in which Fertiberia dominated from start to finish, but in the final minutes the home side managed their energy better to secure victory against a battling Fertiberia. The red-and-whites surprised the home side in the opening minutes, taking advantage of their attacking opportunities and establishing the first lead on the scoreboard. The pace of the match was very high and the contest on court was closely fought. Bruixola’s inspiration in goal soon emerged, with three consecutive saves that Fertiberia used to move three goals ahead, despite Bernatonis being sent off for a two-minute suspension. Granollers were uncomfortable on court, unable to break through the red-and-white defence even when they had an extra player. Carlos Viver called a timeout to give his players instructions and try to stop Fertiberia’s backcourt shots. With the Catalans looking disjointed in defence, they could not counter Valencia’s attack, which maintained a three-goal lead thanks to goals from Bernatonis and Plaza (10–13). Gradually, Granollers set up a mixed defence on Malasinskas, the Valencians’ most influential player, causing uncertainty among Patxi Martí’s players, who withstood the final surge to go into half-time ahead (17–18). During the interval, Fraikin regrouped to turn the match around and take control. The home side adjusted their defence to put Fertiberia under pressure, catching them off guard with their intensity. Bernatonis continued to lead the red-and-white attack, but it was not enough, as Granollers levelled the match at 24–24, prompting Patxi Martí to call a timeout to halt the home side’s comeback. The red-and-whites’ inaccuracies in front of goal were notable at key moments of the match, as was Bernatonis’s suspension, which Granollers took advantage of to turn the scoreboard around in the final minutes and take both points. Fertiberia’s next fixture will be next Wednesday 26 against Abanca Ademar León, from 20:15, in the tenth league round. Fraikin BM Granollers: Pejanovic, Blanxart (6), Capdevila, Adrià Pérez (1), Figueras, Solé (9), Sastre, Resina (3), Álvaro Ruiz (5), Salvador Puig, Valadao (4), Grundsten (2), Guilherme and Del Arco (3). Fertiberia BM Puerto Sagunto: Sebastiá, Bruixola, Bernatonis (12), Malasinskas (5), Rubén Ruiz, Sladic, Moriñigo (3), Tarrasó (3), Álvarez (1), Plaza (7), Toni Alegre, Fernández, Dukic and Roque. Referees: Alberto Ballano Dueñas and Juan José Belloso Pérez (Catalan Referees’ Committee and Madrid Referees’ Committee). For Fraikin BM Granollers, Grundsten (2) and Valadao were suspended; for Fertiberia BM Puerto Sagunto, Bernatonis (2), Álvarez (2) and Fernández were suspended. Score at five-minute intervals:  3–4, 5–8, 8–11, 11–13, 15–16, 17–18 Half-time 18–20, 22–24, 25–26, 26–28, 30–30, 33–31 Full-time. Palau d’Esports de Granollers. Attendance: 1,200.

Translation produced using artificial intelligence.