At the conclusion of this 11th day of the National 1 championship, Cavigal hosted GFC Ajaccio. A match between two contenders for promotion.
A single point. That’s what separates Cavigal handball and Ajaccio before this encounter. In an ultra-tight championship where the top seven are very close, the slightest underperformance can prove fatal.
The beginning of the match turns to the advantage of the Corsicans. Cavigal lacks precision in their shots and quickly gives their opponents a three-goal lead. Things do not improve when Carlos Robles-Garcia is expelled after less than 10 minutes of play for a foul on Joran Martin. But Nice comes back into the game. The Azuréens rely on Kristian Vassilev and Maxime Aicardi. The latter, who delivers a very good performance (11 saves), allows the Niçois to quickly draw level. This is when Florian Graglia and Alexis Bon spring into action. The two players find their aim and give Cavigal the lead in the middle of the first half. The trend reverses, and it’s the Maralpins who go into halftime with a two-goal lead (14-12).
Alexis Bon Takes Charge
But the Ajacciens are not done yet. Tony Brunetti, already very active before the break, steps up again. The top scorer of the match (9 goals) pushes his teammates and brings them back into the game. Cavigal experiences a slump lasting about ten minutes without scoring. Only Maxime Aicardi manages to keep the Niçois in the match. Trailing by two goals, the locals resume their assault on the opposing goal. Kristian Vassilev sounds the charge, well supported by Alexis Bon. The two players, each scoring seven points, are the main architects of this encounter alongside Maxime Aicardi.
With the score tied between the two teams five minutes from the end, Alexis Bon takes charge. In the last seconds, he takes the shot for victory after two missed attempts by his partners.
In the end, Cavigal wins at home (24-23) against GFCA and takes the third place from them. Enough to have a good end-of-year celebration. Now, Cavigal is set for next year for the continuation of its journey in pool 4 of National 1. The next match is scheduled for the weekend of February 8 at the Pasteur Hall against Chambéry.
