Ostroushko steers Motor into Group Phase

A thrilling two-day qualification tournament in Novi Sad had a fitting climax as HC Motor Zaporozhye steamrolled into the business end of the VELUX EHF Champions League with an emphatic win over hosts Vojvodina Novi Sad in front of a full house.

The day’s curtain-raiser also produced an entertaining contest in which Austrians Alpla HC Hard overpowered Bosnian champions Borac m:tel Banja Luka to finish on a high note after a narrow semi-final defeat.

Final: HC Motor Zaporozhye (UKR) vs RK Vojvodina Novi Sad (SRB) 36:24 (17:11)

Ukrainian title holders Motor Zaporozhye enjoyed the biggest European success in the club’s history when they brushed aside Serbia’s Vojvodina Novi Sad to book a place in the VELUX EHF Champions League Group Phase.

It was clear from the start that the qualification Group 3 hosts had only a forlorn hope against the tournament’s favourites, whose towering left back Vladislav Ostroushko capped a superb one-man show with a game-high 11 goals in the Slana Bara Arena.

Sergiy Onufryienko scored seven goals for Motor and Inal Afitulin added six as the impressive Ukrainian outfit fired on all cylinders from start to finish and silenced a passionate home crowd in Novi Sad.

Uroš Elezović led Vojvodina with five goals while Miljan Pušica and Bojan Todorović netted four each but their good performances will be scant consolation for the hosts, who have been confined to the EHF Cup third qualifying round.

Motor, on the other hand, will play in Group A of Europe’s premier club competition alongside MKB-MVM Veszprém, HC Croatia Osiguranje, St. Petersburg HC, Rhein-Neckar Löwen and Celje Pivovarna Laško.

3/4 place match: RK Borac m:tel Banja Luka (BIH) vs Alpla HC Hard (AUT) 17:25 (7:12)

Austrian champions Alpla HC Hard cruised to a well-deserved win over Bosnian rivals Borac Banjaluka to finish third in Novi Sad and book a berth in the EHF Cup third qualifying round.

Having suffered a dramatic one-goal defeat by hosts Vojvodina on Saturday, Alpla bounced back in style as they enjoyed the upper hand from start to finish against Borac.

Serbian right back Marko Tanasković led the scoring for Alpla with five goals, Michael Jochum netted four while Rene Rigas and Dominik  Schmid added three apiece.  

Srđan Trivundža amassed five goals for Borac, whose consolation prize is a berth in the EHF Cup second qualifying round where they meet the winners of the Sporta Hlohovec vs Ottmar St. Gallen tie.