Unai Lekerika is untreatable. He demonstrated it again yesterday on the seventh day of the Gernika Winter Series, which once again filled the stands of the Jai Alai fronton. The defender from the town headed towards the semi-finals after another brilliant game. Well accompanied by Goikoetxea, they beat Goitia and Basque in a match that kept the excitement going in the first game, but fell apart in the second.
With this victory, Zumaia’s team and his defender finish undefeated and as leaders of their group. It was enough for them to make a set to secure passage to the next round, but they cleared up any hypothesis with a stroke of the pen. Despite the defeat, their rivals still have options. They will be at risk in the duel that they will play on the last day of the year at noon against Olharan and Del Río.
The craftsmanship and know-how of the winners was key to securing a contest that began balanced and with a very inspired Goitia. The first game maintained tension during the first half because the give and take was constant. Both defenders performed at a good level and in the happy teams their teammates took advantage of their chances.
However, the demands proposed by Goikoetxea and Lekerika are high, and the slightest error in concentration is punishable against them. It was enough for those who wore blue to show some sign of weakness for the game to begin to become too complicated for them.
It was after the tie at eight when the winners put their game together better and found the gaps they were looking for to get ahead on the scoreboard. Their opponents got into a hurry and found themselves down 13-9 in just thirty shots.
But they managed to hold on to the crash when very few expected it. Their rivals unintentionally gave them oxygen in the form of mistakes that they don’t usually make and the game won in full again. They relaxed when they saw themselves as winners, because otherwise it is difficult to explain the two walls that the Zumaia forward missed with one goal remaining when he had everything in his favor.
A brutal two walls
Goitia and Basque were miraculously alive and had the opportunity to challenge them for the set. But Lekerika settled any type of debate with a trademark play that lifted the fronton from their seats. Even though his first attempt had been unsuccessful, the defender did not think twice and took a two-wall right from the eleventh box to the delight of the fans and frustration of his opponents (15-14).
Their narrow victory assured them a place in the semifinals, so in the second set they took off all the pressure. The Markina forward and the Iparralde defender ended up affected by the outcome of the previous game and it was noticeable in the restart. Goikoetxea and Lekerika found themselves with a 4-0 start without doing much. The bad start was a burden for the blues. They left the game. And in a situation like this, Lekerika knew how to move perfectly. He did damage with his right foot and his teammate placed the ball perfectly between the two of them (8-1). Goitia had a timid reaction, but he kept trying. With such an advantage, the Gipuzkoan and the Gernikarra team had the situation under control (15-5).
2023-12-11 21:45:03
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