Water polo: the Sétois win against Aix

Les solutions ont cruellement manqué face à un excellent Kandic. MIDI LIBRE – Jérôme Belluire

Les hommes d’Olivier Chandieu n’ont pas réussi à exister dans leur bassin (5-14), même si l'objectif a été rempli à distance.

The stakes were high this Saturday for the Sète polo players. A victory would have assured them of mastering their destiny to finish in sixth place, synonymous with the European Cup. But at the same time, a boost was strongly expected from direct competitors. It happened. And fortunately because, in the Fonquerne basin, there was unfortunately no suspense.

Totally deprived of access to goals from the first minutes, the Sétois were content with half-hearted and often off-target shots, while opposite the offensive play was quite clear. The Aixois alternated between shots from distance and passing through the point, to lead 0-4. A goal from Chandieu was needed at the last second to open the local score (1-4).

The meeting folded into seven minutes

In the second quarter, the attack was better but the shooting efficiency was not. Although they sometimes made Kandic shine, the Sétois most often came up against the talent of the Aix goalkeeper. Chandieu scored his second goal in the 13th minute (2-5) and, then, Sète Natation would take on the water from all sides.

In seven minutes, straddling the second and third quarters, PAN would indeed score six goals without conceding a single one (2-11). If we had quickly considered the outcome of the match, there was no longer any doubt. Behind, the Sétois persisted in going through the point but without success. Result ; a lot of lost balls without having the opportunity to shoot. And when there was a shot, Kandic continued his festival…

There was therefore a defeat, logically, but the objective was achieved from a distance for the Sétois. Beaten at home by Strasbourg (6-11), Reims will no longer be able to get back up to par in the standings.

The technical sheet

► SÈTE SWIMMING………………5
► AIX SWIMMING COUNTRY………14

Raoul-Fonquerne Center
Quarter time details: 1-4, 1-6, 1-2, 2-2.
Referees: MM. Courbin and Bouchez.

SÈTE : Chandieu (2 goals), Sauton (1), Dentro (1), Aït Dahmane (1).
Thirteen temporary exclusions.

AIX : Watanabe (5 goals, including 3 pens), Gorria (3), Beteille (1), Khasz (1), Drahe (2), Dunstan (1), Steering Wheel (1).
Twelve temporary exclusions.