Courtesy: LEN
Ethnikos downed host Dunaujvaros with a series of fine action goals and the 8-12 away win sets up the Greeks to claim the trophy, for the second time in their history.
LEN Trophy Final, 1st leg: Dunaujvarosi Foiskola (HUN) v Ethnikos Piraeus (GRE) 8-12 Return leg: 30 March
Dunaujvaros managed to reach back-to-back finals in two years – in 2021 Olympiacos Piraeus edged them out in the Euro League endgame, now they faced the other top side from Piraeus, Ethnikos, this time in a home-and-away duel, but it seems they end up losing once more.
The first half brought a balanced battle, the opening quarter saw two goals apiece. The Greeks netted two fine goals from action early on in the second to go 2-4 up but the hosts bounced back and in 2:04 minutes they responded with three straight goals (two came from penalties). Tt turned out soon that this was their best spell in the evening – Christina Benekou scored one from the centre and Karolina Ioannou put away a man-up 5 seconds before the middle break for 5-6.
And the Greek carried on in the third, the Charalampidi sisters added two more, one from action by Ioanna and one from a penalty by Stefania. When Ioannou netted another man-up, Ethnikos was on a 0- 5 run – and Dunaujvaros in deep trouble. The Hungarians were clearly intimidated by US Olympic champion goalie Ashleigh Johnson who denied two of their finest chances and even if Greta Gurisatti managed to beat her later from an extra, the difference between the two sides was clearly recognisable at this stage.
And the Greeks landed the decisive punch at the beginning of the fourth, hit two more from action in 64 seconds for a 6-11 lead and never looked back. The hosts could reduce the gap to four by the end (could convert an extra when Johnson was excluded) but for them the return leg next Wednesday is very much a mission impossible in Piraeus. Ethnikos offered a brilliant performance, scored 7 action goals so the Greeks can get ready to celebrate their second LEN Trophy victory after 2010.