The result was the least important thing. Lanzarote Puerto del Carmen and Zonzamas Plus Car Lanzarote have enjoyed a beautiful afternoon of handball, a new derby of handball from Lanzarote that has been surrounded by good feelings, tears and hugs to put the finishing touch to an unforgettable season for both teams.
The batateras (23-38) took the match after showing an evident superiority and demonstrating the reasons that have crowned them as league champions and that will take them next year to the Liga Guerreras Iberdrola. After the deserved guard of honor from the locals to the league champions, the contrast between both teams was seen from the beginning. Zonzamas counted their attacks as goals while the tiñoseras came face to face with an accurate Valentina Menucci defending the visiting goal. Juanmi Pérez's team failed to score until the 7th minute of the match (1-5).
The continuous doubts in the passes in the attacking phase condemned Puerto del Carmen and gave endless wings to the batateras (2-7, min. 10).
Both Juan Rivera and Juanmi Pérez started making changes early, both aware of the entrails of a match much more given to giving minutes to the less usual players and to celebrations than to the sporting competition itself. The timeouts were filled with emotions with the aroma of farewells in both squads.
Gabriela Romero played almost all the minutes of the first half until, before the break, she left the match between hugs and applause. The break was reached with a clear visiting advantage (11-17) and with two teams on the Tiñosa court with their homework done on time and with their objectives more than achieved.
The second half continued along similar lines. A Zonzamas with more energy and success, in short, with another, superior, speed, which prevailed over a Puerto with many doubts and with more heart than head.
As the minutes passed, the parade of changes continued on both sides, seeking to give minutes to the entire squad.
As the end of the match approached, tears began to flow. The initial farewell to Mary Sánchez, a Zonzamas player and former Puerto del Carmen player, was followed at the end of the match by a timeout from Juanmi Pérez that served to pay tribute with a heartfelt general applause to two players who were wearing the yellow elastic for the last time, the captain Atteneri Morales and the Cape Verdean Suely Pinto Spencer. The match, without excessive sporting history, took a back seat. The stands with both fans and the two teams joined in a sea of emotions and affectionate endings, putting an end to a year in which both teams have achieved the objectives set.
Technical Sheet
Lanzarote-Puerto del Carmen (23): Cristina Mazaira, Nayra Gil (2), Carolina López (1), Fernanda Luján Insfrán (5), Cristina Betancort (1), Suely Pinto Spencer (2), Brenda Torres (2), Lucía Betancort (2), Atteneri Morales (1), Mónica Cabrera (1), Romina Machín, Made Cortez, Delyne Leiva (4), Aitana Brito and Yuli Quevedo (2). Coach: Juanmi Pérez.
Zonzamas Plus Car Lanzarote (38): Valentina Menucci, Mary Sánchez (1), Luana Schallmey (5), Brenda Roger (8), Ingrid Roger (1), Gleinys Reyes (3), Ainhoa García (3), Ana Martín, Isabel Colías (2), Irene Botella (1), Agustina López (6), Nahomi Márquez (1), Gabriela Romero (1), Andrea Claramonte (5), Naydith Morales and Luna Vonzina (1). Coach: Juan Rivera.
Partial scores every 5 minutes: 0-3, 3-7, 4-10, 6-13, 9-15, 11-17 (break) 13-20, 15-22, 16-26, 18-28, 19-33, 23-38 (final)
Referees: Óscar Gutiérrez and Jorge Monjo, assisted at the scoring table by Sonia Saavedra and Carolina Trujillo. Carolina López (2) was excluded among the Tiñoseras. Brenda Roger and Ainhoa García in the Batateras ranks.
Incidents: Tías Municipal Pavilion. Match corresponding to the last and twenty-sixth day of the Women's Gold Honor Division. In addition to the tribute to Atteneri Morales, Suely Pinto Spencer and Mary Sánchez, the Tiñosero club and the players presented a small detail to the coaching staff, Toño Cedrés, Juan Manuel González “Nito”, Beatriz Betancor and coach Juanmi Pérez.