For their second championship match this Wednesday, Marjan Kolev’s OGC Nice managed to overcome Cercle Dijon Bourgogne at home (25-24). This somewhat redeems the painful defeat against Metz last week. A close score that reflects a balanced game where everything came down to the last minute.
Although not everything was perfect, the result is there. In their Charles Ehrmann gymnasium, the Nice team narrowly defeated the Dijon team by just one point. A second consecutive victory, including the one obtained in the Coupe de France against Clermont (36-31) at the end of last week, marking their first championship win this season.
60 minutes of suspense
Tonight, both Nice and Dijon were very evenly matched. The two teams were neutralizing each other, never managing to get the upper hand. The Nice team was in constant danger throughout the first half (12-12; 25th minute).
Despite the eagerness of the players, some beautiful actions, and performances by Melissa Agathe, Djazz Chambertin for Nice, or Carmen Campos Costa and Ilona Di Rocco for Dijon, neither team managed to pull ahead (18-18; 45th minute). Fortunately, goalkeeper Lucie Satrapova (Nice) remained vigilant and made five consecutive decisive saves.
Additionally, there were many missed opportunities, with numerous technical errors, such as poor passes. At halftime, the Gym led by only one goal (15-14). No one knew yet that this small lead would prove significant at the end of the match.
Skolkova to the rescue
As the minutes passed and the end approached, anything could still happen. In the 55th minute, Dijon took the lead (21-24). The task seemed tougher for the Nice team. Against all odds, the red and blacks responded with a 3-0 run, tying the game at 24-24 with one minute left in the match.
That’s when Martina Skolkova took the stage. After a referee’s intervention penalizing Christophe Maréchal’s team for having a seventh player on the field, the Slovak international infiltrated the Dijon defense to score what would prove to be the decisive goal of the match. OGC Nice took the lead again (25-24). Despite a final attempt from Cercle Dijon, the score remained unchanged until the final whistle.
Celebration for the Nice team and disappointment for the Dijon team, who fought until the end. A significant moment also for Skolkova, who played for Dijon and now delivered victory against her former teammates. “I’m very proud of my team. We reacted in the best way possible, even if the opposition’s substitution error worked in our favor.”
OGC Nice is now full of confidence before hosting Brest in a week for the 3rd round of the championship.
