Atticgo Elche narrowly missed finishing the first round as solo leaders in the Ibedrola Guerreras League, losing by a single goal, 26-25, to Atlético Guardés in a gripping finale that kept fans on the edge of their seats.
Atticgo Elche aims to become solo leader
VL Deltell
In front of the home crowd, Elche played with energy and depth, led by Van Zijl and So Delgado. Although they surged ahead by three goals in the first half, the Galician squad refused to back down, drawing inspiration from a raucous away section and a wave of supportive chants from their supporters.
The start of the second period saw Guardés tighten its defense and convert several chances, rolling the game to an 18-17 lead by the 41st minute. The Franjiverdes did not surrender, and the match remained open as both teams traded blows, keeping the outcome undecided until the final minutes.
In a crucial stretch, Guardés benefited from a suspension of Gascó and outstanding goalkeeper work from Carrera against Oppedal and Rosa. A decisive attacking move by Cacheda helped push the visitors to a 25-23 lead at 58 minutes. Guardés managed to extend the advantage when they needed to, while Flores charged forward to retrieve a ball only to misplay the possession, preventing a late comeback opportunity for Elche.
As a result, Atticgo Elche suffered its second defeat of the season, the first coming at home against Bera Bera. They finished the first round with 18 points, comparable to Bera Bera, who remained a step ahead, and tied on points with Costa del Rey after a draw. When the league resumes after the break, the team under Joaquín Rocamora will face Sol Málaga in their next clash.
MATCH SUMMARY
ATLÉTICO GUARDÉS: Carrera (p), M. Sempere (p); WITH. Sempere (2), Portela, Hauptman (1), Magallanes, Cacheda (2), Palomo (4), Fernández (5), Cifuentes (1), Almeida, Amores (8), Sancha (1), Ramos (1), Martínez (1) and Radovic.
ATTICGO ELCHE: Morales (p, 1), Carratú (p); Zhukova, Van Zijl (7), Oppedal (2), Guilabert (1), Méndez (1), Andreu, SoDelgado (4), Gascó, Flores, Benítez, Wolfs (4), Bernabé, Do Nascimento (4) and Rosa (one).
EACH 5′ POINTS: 3-3, 4-4, 5-8, 9-11, 12-13, 14-16, 14-16, 16-17, 19-18, 20-21, 24-23 and 26-25.
REFEREES: Cristian da Silva and Tomás Luis García. The officiating crew made decisions that shaped the late stages of the game, with players from both sides receiving cautions as the match intensified.
PAVILION: Mayor Miguel Salas.