Randers defeated in Danish top match

FC Midtjylland are still on top of the Danish league after this weekend´s 23:21 win at home against EHF Champions League team Randers HK.

Randers, who are going to open the Women´s EHF Champions League Main Round away against Larvik HK in less than two weeks (26 January), were short of their usual playmakers Macarena Aguilar and Berit Kristensen due to injury, while FCM were missing playmaker Lærke Møller.

Still, Randers seemed to be hit worse, when it came to missing key players. In the absence of Aguilar and Kristensen, for instance, young Cecilie Hansen had to orchestrate the Randers´ attacking play.

In spite of those drawbacks, Randers were the better team for most of the first half, and the ruling Danish champions were leading with four goals at 11:7 and again at 12:8 at half time. The lead was partly due to a brilliant Chana Mason in goal. The Brazilian international made wonders in the first 30 minutes

It did not take FC Midtjylland, who are among the Last 16 in the EHF Cup, long to close the gap after the break, though. An improving effort from former German international Sabine Englert in goal and a strong fast break phase, in which left winger Gitte Brøgger Led was particularly efficient, brought the cup winners back in the game, and from 17:16, the hosts were back in the lead.

From then on, the 1,850 spectators in Ikast Brande Arena saw a close race, and not until the last minute was the FCM lead increased to two goals, at 22:20, and the match decided. “Our comeback in this match was due to the fact that we kept finding and that we stood together. In general we are good at standing together, and we possess a lot of will power. That is the secret behind our success,” Brøgger Led said to Danish station TV2.

With eight goals she was the best scoring player with 8 goals, while Camilla Dalby scored seven for Randers. “Unfortunately we were not able to keep up our good defensive play, and this meant that they caught up with our four goal lead rather quickly. Nothing we lost yet with regards to the championship, though. Last year we became Danish champions in spite of being fourth in the ground series. This year we will be back in the play-offs again too, and in the Champions League as well,” the right back of Randers HK promised.

The final result, then, was 23:21 for FCM, who are sharing the first place with Viborg HK. Both teams have only lost one point in their 13 matches – through a draw in their internal meeting back in the autumn. At the same time, the defeat put Randers six points behind the two top teams.