12 Maslowski goals keep Azoty-Pulawy in the race

No less than 12 goals from Piotr Maslowski played a great part, as KS “Azoty-Pulawy gave themselves a good chance to reach the final of the Men's Challenge Cup final.

A narrow 40:38 defeat away against IK Sävehof really allows the Polish team to believe in the chance to qualify for the final, while RK Metaloplastika have an even greater reason to hope for the final.

Metaloplastika won as clearly as 29:21 at home against Aguas Santas-Milaneza in the Serbian-Portuguese tie which will find its decision next weekend, as will the encounter between Sävehof and Azoty-Pulawy.

RK Metaloplastika Sabac (SRB) vs Aguas Santas-Milaneza (POR) 29:21 (11:12)

3,000 spectators in the Zorka of Sabac saw Metaloplastika  take a major step towards the Challenge Cup final through an eight goal win at home in the first leg against Aguas Santas Milaneza.

After the first 30 minutes, the Portuguese visitors seemed to be heading for a fine result ahead of the second leg at home next Sunday. Aguas Santas were leading 12:11 at half time, but after the break, the Serbian hosts managed to turn the tables quite efficiently and win the second half by nine goals and the match by eight.

Not even two red cards within the last ten minutes, a direct red for line player Bogdan Meduric and one for three two minutes suspensions for left wing Milos Mitrovis, could stop the home team.

The right side of the Metaloplastika attack played an important part in the convincing home win. Right back Nemanja Grujicic and right wing Zikica Milosavljevic scored six goals each, while Aguas Santas had the most scoring player of the match in centre back Nuno Roque who found the net seven times.

IK Sävehof (SWE) vs KS Azoty-Pulawy (POL) 40:38 (20:17)

With no less than 12 goals, centre back Piotr Maslowski made his strong contribution to keeping “Azoty-Pulawy in the high-scoring match in Partillebohallen by Gothenburg.

With only 40 seconds left, the Polish visitors were even on their way to an even better result, seen from their point of view, the score being equal, 38:38.
With two goals in the last second, though, Sävehof managed to clinch a narrow win.

The home team got the better start, though, and took an early 10:5 lead, but already at half time, the visitors had reduced the distance to three goals at 20:17.

Towards the end of the second half, Sävehof got five goals ahead again at 33:28, but Pulawy got back again and equallised, before the hosts scored the last two goals of the match.

“We started well and were good at closing our defence. Later we took too many liberties. It was a pity that we did not manage to tighten the grip, when we were leading clearly”, said Sävehof´s left back Mattias Thynell who was his team´s most scoring player with nine goals.