The fans of CB Lanzarote Zonzamas and Renault Juan Toledo San José Obrero gathered en masse at the Municipal Pavilion of Las Palmeras and enjoyed a real handball match from the stands. One of those matches that create fans and that was not decided until the last second. CB Lanzarote Zonzamas led for a good part of the match, while San José Obrero was able to take the victory in the final stretch. A meritorious save by Nélida Valiente and a counterattack culminated by Brenda Roger gave the victory to the "batateras".
From the beginning, the match had a lot of rhythm. The attacks of CB Lanzarote Zonzamas were more paused and Renault Juan Toledo tried to go fast on the attack. Fanny Monrós opened the scoring for the visitors, and soon Andrea Gómez neutralized the advantage with two goals. The differences were minimal in these first minutes of the match, where the defenses prevailed over the attacks.
Soon the first problems arose in defense for Renault Juan Toledo San José Obrero. Nábila Harchaouin suffered the second exclusion when only ten minutes of the match had passed, limiting her actions in defensive tasks. Two goals from Brenda Roger and one from Sara de León put the score at 7 to 4, with David Betancort requesting the first timeout of the match.
After the instructions from the bench, the match resumed with a seven-meter shot transformed by Brenda Roger, giving the locals the maximum lead in the 17th minute of the match (8-4). Renault Juan Toledo gradually reduced the difference, going one goal down with five minutes remaining until the end of the first half (9-8).
With a few seconds left for the end of the first period, pivot África Rodríguez established the tie (10-10). A first part that ended with a free hit in favor of CB Lanzarote Zonzamas with the time expired and that Sara de León managed to materialize into a goal. At the end of the first 30 minutes, the scoreboard reflected a tight 11 to 10.
The second half began with a CB Lanzarote Zonzamas more involved in the match and that allowed them to take the initiative. The de León sisters, Sara and María, made it 16 to 12 and forced the coach of Renault Juan Toledo San José Obrero to request a timeout. The visitors had problems in their defensive line and were very rushed in attack. The advantage was five goals in the middle of the second period (19-14).
Renault Juan Toledo San José Obrero gradually reduced the difference, thanks in large part to the 5:1 defense, which put the Zonzamas attack in trouble. This is how, with four minutes remaining until the end of the match, Vesi Nenkova transformed a seven-meter shot to tie the game. San José Obrero even took a one-goal lead.
Goalkeeper Nélida Valiente was one of the architects of the victory for CB Lanzarote Zonzamas. In the penultimate attack play of San José Obrero, Nábila Harchaouin, from the wing, passed to África Rodríguez and she, from the pivot, found a great low save by the goalkeeper. In the counterattack, Brenda Roger culminated it in a goal and made it 24 to 23 with a few seconds left until the end.
The match concluded with a free hit with the time expired in favor of Renault Juan Toledo. Vesi Nenkova executed it and the Zonzamas barrier repelled the ball. The controversy would come with the match finished, after watching the video of the live broadcast offered by LanzaroteDeportiva. In the last action, it can be seen how the referees ended the match when the play had not finished, with the ball ending up inside the Zonzamas goal.
CB San José Obrero will present a formal protest to the Competition Committee of the Royal Spanish Handball Federation, with said body determining whether the action is valid or whether the referees made a major error by ending the match when the ball was still in play.
With the victory, CB Lanzarote Zonzamas rises to seventh place in the standings and Renault Juan Toledo San José Obrero remains in fourth place, although now three points behind the teams that lead Group A of the Women's Silver Division of Handball.
Technical Sheet
CB Lanzarote Zonzamas (24): Nélida Valiente, María de León (1), Ingrid Roger (1), Brenda Roger (4), Sara de León (8), Rocío Guerrero (4) and Andrea Gómez (4) -starting team- Bea San Ginés, Raquel Arrocha, Saray Abreut (1), Patricia Cabrera, Caridad Santana, Miriam Páez, Diana García (1), Nisamar Ramos. Coach: Jesús Casanova
Renault Juan Toledo San José Obrero (23): Ailin López, África Rodríguez (2), Nabila Harchaouin (2), Melania Cabrera (1), Paula González, Vesi Nenkova (11) and Fanny Monrós (5) -starting team- Itahisa Niz, Esther de Miguel (1), Acerina Martín, Haridian Tejera, Hannah Jane, Diana Martín (1), Marta Morales, Emma Sánchez and Milena Cruz. Coach: David Betancort
Partials: 2-2, 3-4, 6-4, 8-4, 9-7, 11-10 (break) 14-12, 16-12, 20-14, 20-17, 22-21, 24-23 (final)
Referees: Jhonny Ruymán Afonso Hernández and David Déniz Alonso. They excluded María de León (1), Patricia Cabrera (1), Brenda Roger (1), Miriam Páez (1), Andrea Gómez (1) and Sara de León (2) for CB Lanzarote Zonzamas and Nabila Harchaouin (2), Esther de Miguel (1), Diana Martín (1) and Fanny Monrós (1) for Renault Juan Toledo San José Obrero.
Incidents: Municipal Pavilion of Las Palmeras de San Bartolomé, about 400 spectators. Match corresponding to the 7th day of Group A of the Women's Silver Division of Handball.
