Buducnost overcome shaky first half to clinch main round beth

Buducnost booked the last Main Round ticket from Group D with their 26:23 win at home against Vipers on Saturday evening.

By playing seven against six, the visitors were the dominating team before the break, but in the second half, Buducnost came up with the necessary solutions.

• Buducnost take four points with them into Group 2 of the main round
• Vipers are continuing their European campaign in the EHF Cup group phase after new year

Group D

Buducnost (MNE) vs Vipers Kristiansand (NOR) 26:23 (11:13)

In order to proceed to the main round, Vipers needed a win, while Buducnost could have done with a draw in the last group match.

Vipers played seven against six from the start, and this seemed to stun their opponents, at least in the first half.

The visitors were dominating throughout the first 30 minutes of the match in Podgorica, leading by two to four goals all the way.

Buducnost had particular problems with Vipers right back Linn Jorum Sulland who scored five goals in the first half alone.

During the break, however, Buducnost seemed to have found effective solutions for Vipers' seven against six tactic, and it only took the home team two minutes in the second half to catch up with the two goal deficit from the first half.

Three and a half minutes into the half, Matea Pletikosic secured Buducnost their first lead at 14:13, and from 15:15 on, the home team did not look back.

They cruised to a 22:16 lead, at which point the match was decided, even though Vipers managed to reduce the deficit a bit.

Dragan Adzic, Buducnost's head coach, was looking forward to taking his team to the main round:

"Thanks to the fans for great support and I'm looking forward to the games in the main round.

"In the main round, we will start with four points, which is a great achievement and confirmation that we have fully met the vision we had at the beginning of the season.

"I was among the few who believed in this young generation."