Most beat Samobor to lift the Challenge Cup

Petra Beňušková led her team with five goals and Dominika Müllnerová added several important saves as DHK Baník Most easily overcame the four-goal deficit from the first leg of the Women's Challenge Cup Final (20:24) and beat ŽRK Samobor 26:17 to claim the first ever EHF European Cup trophy for any Czech team in history.

Women's Challenge Cup Final, second leg:
DHK Baník Most vs ŽRK Samobor 26:17 (16:9)
First leg: 20:24

When Beňušková, whose mother Katarína won the Cup Winners' Cup 33 years ago with Slovakian side Iskra Partizánske, executed her fourth seven-meter throw of the match for 25:17 two minutes remaining, the capacity crowd of 1250 fans erupted in the standing ovation. Hana Martinková added four goals to claim the top scorer title of the competition with 66 goals.

"This is by far our greatest achievement. For many the European Cup final is only once in a life-time. The strongest nations do not take part in this competition, but still it has a very good quality. The finalist of the French league did not make it to this final. This is a huge trophy," coach of Most Dušan Poloz said for Czech media.

"Our girls were like a steam roller since January. Their effort was incredible," Poloz praised his team.

"Black Angels" rallied from the four-goal hole of the first leg very quickly as they put their opponents under pressure and erased the gap with still 43 minutes to play. After the break they were constantly increasing their lead and after a great long pass of Müllnerová one second before the end Schererová set the final score.

Photo credit: Alex Wipf