Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto lose a point in Irun

[caption id="attachment_13858" align="aligncenter" width="550"] Photograph: Borja Olzabal (CD Bidasoa Communications Department)[/caption]

Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto drew away in Irun against CD Bidasoa, 28–28

  Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto drew a match they had been winning 13–21 in the 41st minute. The local reports will say nothing about how, at that point, Molina and Fernández began seeing things differently in the areas; Sorrentino’s jump, pushed in the air with a possible tibia fracture, was met with “play on” and no sanction, while apparently the team leading by eight goals suddenly became even more intense in defence and had to play ten of the twenty minutes with one player fewer. The Irun side, however, evidently saw the light and managed to halt the red-and-white attacks with finesse and style. The mysteries of Spanish refereeing, which seem intent on balancing matches to keep them exciting. Now, what we will read once again is that Fertiberia let a match slip into a draw, or that Bidasoa completed a comeback, but of course we will see less of these intangibles recounted in this report. It will also, no doubt, be described as someone’s fatal error – we do not know whose – that two Irun players, Lancina and Basaric, were able to play today despite receiving two blue cards in the previous match, those much-publicised cards said to carry a one-match suspension. Well, that was what it seemed, because both played today. We hope the Competition Committee and the Referees’ Committee can explain how, with two blue cards – the videos are there – a player can play in the following match. Turning to the match itself, Fertiberia had forty magnificent minutes, during which Bruixola once again made the most of the red-and-whites’ superb team defence. The Irun players repeatedly came up against a brick wall, while pivot Pozzer struck gold and Ángel Pérez Inestrosa, the red-and-whites’ top scorer, gave a masterclass in playmaking and movement. The Irun side relied on their pivot, the unsuspended Basaric, and on Borragán, who kept the yellow side’s scoring ticking over. From the 10th minute onwards, the appearance of former red-and-white player Iker Serrano, winning seven-metre penalties, and Borragán’s continued scoring – he went home with 11 goals – allowed them to exploit their spells with an extra player more than desired. Even so, Fertiberia were always ahead and reached the final minute at 27–28 with possession. A few steps by Inestrosa, correctly penalised, allowed Borragán to score the final goal and save a point, which the refereeing had brought within reach by preventing the large margins from being maintained and which Bidasoa were clinical enough to take advantage of. Despite everything, and despite the bitter frustration of three draws accompanied by refereeing performances to cry over, Milos’s team can be very proud of having lost only one match, away from home and by one goal in Santander, while they have not been beaten in the other four. A win in Cangas and draws against Aranda and León allow them to reach the top six of the competition in a comfortable eighth place in the table. Fertiberia’s next match will be this Wednesday, against the “other” Champions League side, Naturhouse La Rioja, who have just beaten Montpellier and will be looking to add to their tally from 8.30 pm at the Ovni, with Movistar + cameras covering the featured match. This combative and hard-working Fertiberia will certainly give nothing away to a team that already knows what it is like to lose at the Ovni in the Asobal league. CD Bidasoa: Dejanovic (25%) and Zubiria (28%). Cavero (2), Martinez (1), Crowley (3), Aldaba (1), Nono (1), Odriozola (1), Borragán (11), Serrano (2), Basiric (5), Muiña (1), Popovic and Lancina. Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto: Bruixola (35% saves), Ibrahim (33%). Rubén, Inestrosa (6), Pocholo (6), Tarraso (3), Spiljak (3), Pozzer (5), Alegre, Ángel (1), Linares, Sorrentino (3), Pacheco (1) and Sario. Officials: Fernández and Molina. For Bidasoa, Martínez (2, minutes 15 and 56), Crowley (43’), Popovic (34’) were suspended, and Muiña (21’) was disqualified. For Fertiberia, Spiljak (53), Pozzer (2, minutes 41 and 48) and Juande (58’) were suspended, and Ángel (37’) was disqualified. Score every 5 minutes:1-3, 3-5, 5-7, 7-9, 9-11, 10-16. Half-time. 10-17, 12-19, 16-22, 21-25, 26-26, 28-28. Full-time Artaleku Pavilion. 1,500 spectators.

Translation produced using artificial intelligence.