They struggled in the first half but eventually secured a 37-32 victory over Istres. The Eaglets are now just one point behind the leader.
For the eighth day of group six in the national 2, Cavigal hosted Istres. Following their victory against Villeneuve-Loubet at home two weeks ago, the eagles wanted to continue this positive streak. On the other hand, Istres came from a victory against the Marseille leader and traveled with full confidence. A win would allow the home team to come within two points of first place.
The start of the match was less than ideal and quickly became complicated. After five minutes of play, Mathéo Pascal was excluded for a shot to the head of the Istres goalkeeper. Trailing for a good part of the second half, Gérald Jean-Zéphirin’s men gradually closed the gap by taking advantage of their goalkeeper’s saves. Once they caught up, they went ahead and finished leading 18-16 at halftime.
A decisive awakening
The Nice team needed to return with better intentions, and they did just that. Their rediscovered attacking efficiency and invincible defensive solidity allowed them to take the lead again and even widen the gap. As often this season, a notable performance by Maxime Aicardi must be acknowledged, as the Nice goalkeeper made 15 saves during the game and helped his team widen their lead. Once their rhythm was regained and they widened the lead, Istres could no longer score and never got back into the game.
The home team secured a 37-32 victory and thus moves within one point of Marseille at the top of the standings. Cavigal’s next match will be next Saturday against Antibes Juan Les Pins.
