Great Dane Open Up Lead in Play-Offs

DEFENDING champions Great Dane extended their lead at the top of the Men’s English National League play-off table to three points after notching up an emphatic 47-23 victory over Salford in Liverpool on Sunday.
Previously just one point ahead in the sixteam end of season playoffs, Great Dane took full advantage of Manchester’s narrow 2327 loss to Cambridge. Still second, Manchester are now just one point ahead of Cambridge in the play-offs. And with a tough clash against Great Dane at Leyton on April 11 to come, Manchester’s hopes of wrestling the title away from Great Dane appear to be slipping. Jordi Torres scored ten goals in Great Dane’s victory, while Juan Pedro added eight and Martin Kubisa six. For Salford, Woodall and Tamaroui scored six each, but it was not enough. Eleven goals from Tomasz Lasek was not enough for Manchester who lost out to Cambridge. 10-12 ahead at half time, Cambridge’s top-scorers were Paco Fernandez with seven and Gregoire Massimi with six. In Sunday’s other clash, Olympia maintained their challenge with a 46-30 win over Nottingham as the Southern-based teams continued to dominate the play-offs. After a break for Easter, the play-offs resume on April 11 at Leyton SCORE Centre in London, where the main clash will be between the top two,Great Dane’s Jordi Torres - ten goals against Salford in Sunday’s play-off clash.Great Dane and Manchester. Cambridge will be aiming to move up the table when they take on Nottingham, while Olympia face Salford.

Source: Handball News, 31st March 2010