FCBARCELONA.CAT

25.05.2008 13:55

Barça Sorli Discau in the final (1-3)

Verònica Díez / Sònia de Alba

The fourth game of the semi-final turned out to be decisive. Barça Sorli Discau knew it wouldn’t be easy but with the cushion of the last match at home to fall back on they could approach this game more calmly.

Coach Quim Paüls had been forced to call up four junior players to cover injuries to Panadero and Mia Ordeig and Borregán being suspended.

Noia attacks first

Noia Freixenet wanted to take their last chance especially with the backing of the Ateneu faithful. So as usual they came out strongly and in the 10th minute Joan Feixas opened the scoring with Aitor Egurrola, who as ever was excellent, unable on this occasion to stop the shot.

Yellow for Masoliver

Still in the first half Miquel Masoliver was shown a yellow card after a tussle with Varias. That meant the Barça Sorli Discau player was one more away from missing the next match, either the fifth in the semi-final or the final.

Wisely the Barça coaching staff decided to take him off.

Vergés turns it round

The joy of the home fans didn’t last long. Gerard Vergés, who came on with Carlitos López, scored the equaliser in the 14th minute. The junior player changed the course of the game and gave more solidity to a Barça attack which hadn’t been that effective up to that point.

At half-time the score stood at 1-1.

On the restart Barça Sorli Discau continued to dominate the game. Teixidó fired home from distance to put Barça in the lead in the 35th minute, and Gerard Vergés added a third seven minutes later.

Noia were unable to make a comeback as Barça dominated the last few minutes of the game.

The roller hockey first team is thus back in the final and will be looking to retain a title it has held since 1997/98.

New classic in the final

Alnimar Reus Deportiu, who made it to the final after beating Coinasa Liceo on penalties in the third game, will once again be taking on Barça Sorli Discau in the final of the OK League. The Palau Blaugrana will be the venue for the first two games, and Quim Paüls’s men will have to make a swift recovery before facing a Reus team that is in good form and more rested.

If there are no last minute changes, the final will begin on Friday and Sunday at the Palau. It will then move to Reus for the next two matches with the fifth game if required being in Barcelona.