The spectacular performance of Spanish international goalkeeper Roberto Rodríguez allowed TM Benidorm to beat Bidasoa Irún and add the first points of the handball championship in a live duel that was resolved in the last two minutes.

Fernando Latorre’s team was always ahead on the scoreboard, but a final reaction from Bidasoa, who equalized two minutes later, jeopardized a victory that goalkeeper Roberto knew to protect at the key moment, adding twelve saves to the game.

Despite the losses and doubts in the pre-season, Benidorm started the free game with a 4-0 run, forcing Basque coach Jacobo Cuétara to request a time-out.

Bidasoa took more than six minutes to break through Roberto’s defensive wall, but stood up after the first goal, forcing Latorre to stop the match by a score of 6-4.

Benidorm reacted, and Parker and Portuguese defender Rubén Dos Santos managed to score five goals thanks to good minutes, and they reached the time-out.

The gap widened once he passed the locker room, but as the minutes passed, Bidasoa straightened his defense and took advantage of his opponent’s offensive collapse to approach the scoreboard.

Twelve minutes after the end, all alarms went off in Palau as the Basque team, the most decisive player in offense, was only two goals away.

Latorre tried to stop the collapse, but Benidorm’s several chain mistakes, taking advantage of Bidasoa, tied the scoreboard with four minutes left (22-22).

Two minutes into the game (23-23) Benidorm used their own initiative and the skill of their goalkeeper as a favor, regaining their advantage and adding the first points of the season.

DATA SHEET

26 – Benidorm (16+10): Roberto; Sotic (1), Lignieres (2), Grau, Ramiro Martínez (5), Parker (4) and Iván Rodríguez (3) -starting from seven- Barceló (1), Barnatonis, Vainstein (3), Rubén Dos Santos (5, 3p), Nikcevic (2, 1p), and Solic.

23 – Bidasoa Irun (11+12): Skrzyniarz; Cavero (3p), Zabala (1), Salinas (1), Tesoriere (1), Da Silva and Víctor Rodríguez – starting seven- Ugarte (1), Tao (1), Aguinagalde (1), Harbaqui (ps), Mitic (3), Azkue (5), Gorka Nieto (2), Dariel García (2) and Asier Nieto (2).

Score every five minutes: 4-0, 5-3, 6-4, 8-5, 13-9, 16-11 –at halftime – 17-12, 20-15, 21-17, 22-20, 22 -21 and 26-23.

Referees: Oyarzun Aylagas and Zaragueta Ruiz (Navarro School). Salinas (2) for Bidasoa Irún and Barceló, Solic for Víctor Rodríguez and Mitic and Benidorm are excluded.

Events: The match corresponding to the first day of the Asobal League, played in front of approximately five hundred spectators at Palau d’Esports L’Illa in Benidorm