Nerves cost Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto a point in Benidorm

Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto drew against BM Benidorm in the final minutes of the match, when the red-and-whites lost their composure against the home side’s man-to-man defence, with the match ending 23–23.

The match began with Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto in control. The red-and-whites made their superior defence count and were highly effective in attack, choosing their shots well. However, turnovers prevented Milos’s side from building a larger lead. Puerto’s attack began with an unstoppable Bernatonis, who scored the first three goals for Milos’s side. Benidorm, for their part, opted to neutralise the team’s top scorers, Corzo and Bernatonis. At the end of the first half, the home side, thanks to the Chilean pivot Emilio Salinas’s accuracy in attack, managed to reduce the deficit and went into the break 10–12 down.

The home side came out cold after the interval. Latorre’s side’s turnovers allowed the red-and-whites to pull away on the scoreboard, at one point establishing a five-goal lead in the 20th minute of the second half. Following a timeout by the Benidorm coach, the home defence became increasingly individual, preventing the red-and-whites from creating scoring opportunities. This, combined with Corzo’s suspension with three minutes remaining, allowed Latorre’s side to draw level. Bernatonis’s equaliser was of no avail, as Cuartero levelled the score less than a minute before the end, scoring the final goal almost on the buzzer.

Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto’s next handball fixture will be next Saturday, 5 March, at 18:30 against Teucro at the Ovni.

Balonmano Benidorm:Moyano, Mijuskovic, Marchan (2), Amarelle, Javier Sanchez (2), Folques, Emilio Esteban (1), Grau (3), Salinas (4), Chernov, Jiménez (1), Saez (1), Cuartero (9), Brive (1), Recio, Valles Becerra.

Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto: Bruixola, Ibrahim, Bernatonis (7), Rubén Ruíz, Sladic, Pocholo (2), Berrios, Corzo (4), Pozzer (4), Alegre (1), Nebot, Fernández, Dukic (3), Sorrentino and Sarió, Sayad (2).

Periods: 2–4, 4–5, 5–6, 7–9, 10–11, 10–12 (half-time), 11–14, 13–16, 16–19, 17–22, 18–22 and 23–23. Full time.

Officials: Oscar Raluy and Ángel Luis Sabroso (Canary Islands), who sent off the following players for BM Benidorm: Esteban, Grau, Chernov and Cuartero; and for Fertiberia Balonmano Puerto Sagunto: Bernatornis, Corzo and Ángel Fernández (2).

Palau d’Esports l’Illa de Benidorm. 400 spectators.

Translation produced using artificial intelligence.