And third place safeguarded
– A test of pride, team and character that drives away the shadows and relaunches the ambitions of the post season. Giara Assicurazioni Ferrara, driven by Pasini at times overflowing, offers proof of great pragmatism on the island and – winning with a score of 26-25 – takes away two very heavy points, useful for maintaining third place three rounds from the end of the championship. A team reaction, which comes to the culmination of a complex week and the result of understandable tensions considering the approaching end of the regular season. The match was ruined by nervousness which, in the final, resulted in two blue cards: one on each side.
THE MATCH: Coach Fernando Capurro – with Matha injured – opts for a starting seven made up of captain Michele Rossi, Gabriele Montanari, Teo Marchesino and Alessandro Baldo on the outside; Filippo Pasini and Federico Janni on the wing and Nerio Zaltron to complete in pivot.
The departure from Ferrara is good: Rossi is at the head of a defensive package that will be able to work with fruitful attention for the entire 60′, while on the other side of the field – after Janni’s goal in the opening – are Zaltron, Marchesino, Pasini and a wild Montanari to paint the scoreboard and place the first break at 3-6 in the 10th minute, forcing coach Canu into the first time out of the match. Despite the heated skirmish, Ferrara keeps the Sardinians at a distance: in the 18th minute the score sees Giara ahead on 7-11. The time out called by coach Capurro gives the turning point: Ferrara begins to hammer irresistibly on the opponent’s goal and the 4-6 run sealed by Janni’s goal allows the effective extension on 11-17 which sends the teams into the locker rooms.
In the second half the inertia of the contest changes and Sassari, despite a -6 to climb with a big heart, tries desperately until the 60th minute to reopen the games. The result was a management game for Ferrara who, thanks to a “masculine” and always attentive defense, kept the Sardinians at a distance – practically the whole match – engaged in a desperate comeback attempt. The finale is the perfect plot of an action film: Ferrara, still driven by Pasini (mvp with 6 goals) and author of the assist for the last Emilian goal scored by Janni, flies to 22-26 to 3 ′ from the term. It seems to be the definitive blow of the knockout and instead Capurro’s men suffer, beyond measure, the very high defense of Sassari who recovers three balls and converts them in the 3-0 break which puts the match back on the slope. La Giara is able to let the last seconds flow, winning the victory on one of the most difficult courses in the category: two deserved and very heavy points that return to Emilia with a baggage of important convictions, as well as some ailments to be treated quickly. In the final tension, Janni and the Sardinian Melidoro see a blue card waved in their faces for mutual misconduct: both will be disqualified for at least one round. Jonas Matha and Marzo Mazzucchi’s conditions have to be verified in the week that will culminate with the internal match against Modena.
THE TABLE
Verdeazzurro Handball Sassari vs Giara Assicurazioni Ferrara 25-26 (11-17)
Sassari: Casu, Arteaga, Melidoro 1, Venerdini 3, Cherosu, Delogu 1, Ruiz 7, Mota 5, Bianco 3, Maoddi, Gomenyuk, Sanna, Munda, De San Roque Signes 5. All. Canu
Giara Ferrara: Rossi, Mandelli, Zaltron 4, Mazzucchi 2, Pasini 6, Montanari 4, Janni 5, Matha, Pezzini, Russello 1, Saletti, Baldo 2, Marchesino 2. Herd Capurro
