This Nationale 1 Championship is certainly completely crazy. In a good position to finish the season on the podium, Cavigal Handball was once again defeated at home. A loss that offers an opportunity for teams to catch up in the rankings.
What a tight end to the season this is going to be for Cavigal Handball. In a dense top of the table, mistakes can be costly. With six teams capable of reaching the podium with four matches remaining, everything is still to play for. Only Montpellier seems to be safe at the top of this group. As for Cavigal Handball, things got a bit tougher this evening.
Facing the reserves of Aix-en-Provence, the Cavi couldn’t afford any mistakes. In a high-stakes match between third place, Nice, and sixth place, Aix, it was Cavigal who took the lead. As in the first leg, the Niçois set a brisk pace in the first half. The leaders took responsibility, and Cavigal quickly gained a lead that would grow to over four goals (12-8). Maxime Aicardi made three saves in the first ten minutes. Combined with the strong offensive work of Kristian Vassilev and John Nkonda (4 goals each), Cavigal seemed in control. That was without counting on the efforts of Simon Forets. The Aix goalkeeper made things difficult for the Azurène attackers. As a result, the gap melted like snow in the sun, and Cavigal led by only (15-14) at halftime.
The Aix Captain Makes the Difference Again
At the restart, Cyril Parmentelot‘s players engaged in a close battle. The alternation of goalkeepers turned to the advantage of Aix-en-Provence. Wilson Schultz would have an impressive second half. With 10 saves, the visiting goalkeeper made the best Niçois scorers of the first half doubt themselves. Only Florian Graglia (8 goals) and Alexis Bon (5 goals) managed to stand out. But that didn’t stop Aix-en-Provence from coming back and even taking the lead with about twenty minutes left in the match. The visitors would gain a three-goal advantage before being caught, thanks in part to the two best local scorers.
The end of the match was tense. Despite a double from Nils Jean-Zephirin and a save from Eden Speno, Nice would fall six seconds before the end of the match. On the counterattack after Tristan Cirino’s equalizer, it was the Provençaux captain, Lucas Berchoux, who would score the winning goal (30-31).
A cruel disappointment for the Niçois of Cavigal Handball, who see Aix closing in to one point in the rankings. The only consolation is that the Maralpins remain “miraculously” on the podium but with a small one-point lead over Pau Billère, Annecy, and Aix-en-Provence. The next three matches will be crucial for Cavigal. In two weeks, they will head to Pau Billère for what will be a decisive match!