Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto make the most of their Copa del Rey chances

Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto lost 31–28 to AX Puente Genil in the first leg of the third round of the Copa del Rey, played at the Pabellón Alcalde Salas in the Cordoban town. The red-and-whites, who travelled on the same day and were without their two left-handed back players, Querin and Mirallave, put in an excellent performance and left the tie finely balanced, allowing them to dream of savouring a little more Copa del Rey action. The first half was clearly dominated by the red-and-whites until the final minutes of the period, when several refereeing decisions began to reduce the Valencians' lead of up to three goals. In the final 20 seconds, two consecutive suspensions for Spiljak and Nogués would prove decisive for the outcome of the match, although the scoreboard showed 15–15 at half-time. The second half began with two players fewer because of the aforementioned suspensions, and the Asobal team did not miss the opportunity to establish a three-goal lead, which was ultimately the margin they achieved. To further deplete the red-and-whites' strength, one of their star players, Guillermo Corzo, was shown a straight red card in the opening stages of the second period. Asked about this at the press conference, coach Nogués refused to comment in one of those silences that pointed to the Andalusian referees, Fernández and Murillo, who certainly will not be fondly remembered for their officiating in matches involving the red-and-whites. Even so, the team's discipline and desire to make amends for the painful league defeat to Palma del Río ensured that the deficit did not grow. Nogués commented: “I am very satisfied with my players' performance, despite all the adverse circumstances. It is clear that the pace of Asobal teams suits our players better than the speed and intensity of Plata-level handball. “The possibility of giving our supporters something to celebrate remains, and we hope that the unity of our entire academy, whose presentation takes place on Saturday, together with our supporters, will give us the extra strength we need to dream of a comeback.” Thus, this Saturday the Ovni will once again experience a magical afternoon as it welcomes an Asobal team. AX Puente Genil: De Hita, Martin, Matheus (1), Jimenez (2), Monteiro (2), Cuenca (2), Castro (5), Xavi (3), Moyano (6), Chaparro (1), Rudovic (1), Chispi (1), Porras and Almeida (2). Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto: Bruixola, Chueca, Montoya (3), Dija (5), Pocholo (2), Jaka (1), Dorado (3), Corzo (2), Alegre (1), Oscar (3), Ángel, Folques (5) and Camacho (3). Referees: Murillo and Fernandez. For the home side, Castro, Moyano, Rudovic, Chaparro and Almeida were suspended; for Fertiberia, Montoya, Jaka (2) and Nogués were suspended, while Corzo received a straight red card. Score every five minutes: 2–4, 4–7, 6–8, 10–10, 12–13, 15–15 half-time, 18–15, 20–17, 22–20, 24–22, 29–25, 31–28 full time. Pabellón Alcalde Salas. 700 spectators

Translation produced using artificial intelligence.