El Perelló’s handball team gain revenge against Parets

I arrived at the Perelló pavillion ten minutes into the game as I’d been watching the FA Cup semi-final between Tottenham and Chelsea and was in need of a pick-me-up as my North London side had just lost 4-2.

However, that was not forthcoming as the home side were trailing by two points, 5-7. My mind flashed back to a conversation I’d had with Perelló’s number 13, Ester Casanova, earlier in the week. She’d told me that in the first game of this second-phase series, although only losing by three points to Parets, they had at all times in the game been 2 or 3 points behind. Please, I thought, no deja vu.

Photo by Sara Cervera

The atmosphere was slightly subdued but the team were in no mood to submit and gradually clawed back the deficit, to 12-12. Then, just before half time, they scored an important psychological goal that would put them one up at the break: 13-12.

Perelló opened strongly after the interval and soon took a two-, then a three-goal lead. It looked as though they may coast to victory but Parets had other ideas and soon had the scores back level, then they themselves moved two points ahead.

And so the match see-sawed for the majority of the second period: when one team looked in control, the other rallied.

Photo by Sara Cervera

As the game progressed, the large home crowd, my guesstimate around 180, got more and more behind their team and the noise reached a crescendo in the final few minutes as the Perellonenques pulled three, then four points clear.

In the end, it was a wonderful result, 30-26, which gives them a great chance of qualifying for the final stage.

There are more fantastic photos of the match by Sara Cervera on Flickr here.

Disappointment for Perelló’s football team

Things didn’t go as planned for the football team. After last week’s stunning victory against league leaders La Senia they were up against lower mid-table team Santa Barbera and failed to deliver the expected victory. Indeed, they suffered a very disappointing 0-3 defeat.

The game started predictably enough with Perelló dominating play and looking superior in all departments but lacked the penetrative power to reinforce their territorial advantage. And in the second half they paid the price.

Perelló’s Marc Pardo holds off a Santa Barbera player

The second period began by taking the same format as the first, but on the hour Santa Barbera went ahead through a goal from the penalty spot. From that moment onward until the final whistle the game took on a completely different complexion. Perelló still dominated possession, pressing forward in greater numbers but at the same time leaving themselves vulnerable at the back.

Alex Pedrosa challenging for the ball

Then twice within the space of four minutes Santa Barbera forwards found themselves unmarked in the Perelló half and both executed their shots at goal with precision giving keeper Marc Andreu no chance.

Perelló suddenly found themselves three goals behind. For the remaining 15 minutes the home team tried to salvage something from the game but without success.

News from L’Ampolla and L’Ametlla

L’Ampolla continue their quest for promotion, racking up their fifth consecutive win and are now in joint second position with Jesus Catalonia.

L’Ametlla achieved their first win in six games, a stunning 4-0 victory in Sant Jaume d’Enveja. They are now five points above the relegation zone with six games to play.

⚽️🏐 We’ve got all the latest results and table classifications for the Perelló teams here.