Samir Bellahcene (US Dunkerque Grand Littoral HB)
At the start of this 28th day of Starligue, the Fenix received Dunkirk. Defeated by Chambéry last week, Toulouse want to finish this season by trying to get closer to USAM. The visitors, in the soft belly of the table, come here in order to leave with the 2 points. In a match at a hundred an hour, it is the visitors who win by a small goal (36-37)
A first act at a hundred miles an hour
This meeting starts at a frantic pace, to the sound of drums. The balls are extremely fast so that the defenses have difficulty in setting up, largely gaining speed (3-3, 4′). The Dunkirks show their intention from the outset, after their great victory against Limoges last week. The chilean Erwin Feuchtmann will receive the first temporary exclusion and will give the opportunity to Theo Avelange-Demouge to transform the first throw of 7 meters of the meeting. Subsequently, it was the visitors who made the first break of the game, under 10 minutes of play, concretizing their success at the start of the match (5-8, 9′).
With almost 20 goals scored in barely a quarter of the game, this match was of rare intensity, with the two teams displaying the same daunting pace. Always in front of three units, the northerners do not let themselves be overwhelmed despite several numerical inferiorities already conceded, in particular by Benjamin Afgour. Now led by 5 goals, Daniel Andjelkovic is forced to set the first time out of this game (10-15, 21′). little success, Teodor Paul give way to Jeff Latvianhoping to change that. In turn, Franck Maurice will also take his first time out. The time out will have been more prolific for the visitors since they will maintain their lead of 5 goals (15-20, 30′): “It was not a match that we had targeted but we wanted to finish the season well. We know it’s hard to play against them. And above all it helps us to smile again after the big setback against Nantes” (Gabrielle Anthem, Dunkirk).
The hero came from the Dunkirk cages
Despite a delay of 5 goals, the Toulouse are not discouraged and return in this second act, with a better face, scoring two goals in quick succession and starting to pick up little by little. The rhythm of this meeting has not changed, being always as lively on both sides of the field (19-23, 36′). Yet accustomed to playing fast, the locals find themselves caught in their own trap, losing many balls in attack. Edward Kemp makes a big game on his right wing, putting his own two goals behind and forcing the second time out of theUSDK (23-25, 40′).
As we barely pass the 40th, we can already feel that the end of the match will be breathtaking. Carried by its public, the Fenix will achieve the same thing as during his match against Saint-Raphael namely to pick up the score gradually despite a big initial gap. When Dunkirk mark, Toulouse picks up. A game of cat and mouse between the two teams, where neither manages to get the upper hand on the other (30-30, 51).
It is Bakary Diallo who will give the advantage to his team for the first time in the game. I’USDK will find himself penalized twice with a temporary exclusion at the end of the match and offers a +2 ball to the Fenix who converted Erwin Feuchtmann (34-32, 54‘). Now trailing by three goals, the men of Franck Maurice try everything for everything by even going 7 against 6 in attack: “That’s where I’m proud of my team; There was a time we would have let go but we threw ourselves into an all-terrain defense that we never practice and we took the match one goal after another, without panicking” (Song of Gabriel).
An effective solution since the two teams are now tied. Deprived of their pivot, the Toulousains will miss their last opportunity and it is the captain Samir Bellahcene who will score the saving goal for Dunkirk (36-37, final score): “It’s hard because it’s the disaster scenario that doesn’t reward us. After it’s been 4-5 games where we have a bad first and behind we lose a lot of energy to come back. We can’t make progress on this point and it pays off against teams like Dunkirk. Certainly we took a hit on the head after Chambéry but we are not looking for excuses” (Pierrick Chelle, Fenix).
Theo Alleaume
