Presov win Bjerringbro drama

Slovakian club TATRAN Presov dug deep to secure two crucial points from Bjerringbro-Silkeborg. The win means that both teams, along with Sporting CP who won on Saturday, have 12 points with two games to go in the VELUX EHF Champions League Group Phase.

• Presov are the only side to have defeated Bjerringbro in the group phase
• Presov's Bruno Butorac and Oliver Rabek both scored nine
• Four Bjerringbro players scored seven times

GROUP C
Bjerringbro-Silkeborg (DEN) v TATRAN Presov (SVK) 29:30 (17:14)

Presov coach Slavko Guluza summed up the second clash between these two sides as "very interesting".

"It wasn't the prettiest match, but the importance of the match caused that," Guluza said.

Bjerringbro quickly took a three-goal lead at the start of the match, but Presov managed to close the gap twice.

The end of the first half was in Bjerringbro's hands as the hosts built another three-goal advantage in the closing sequence. Aljosa Rezar provided the base and Presov were unable to score for more than six minutes.

However as good the end of the first half was for Bjerringbro, the beginning of the second half was in the visitors' control. Presov found the answer to Rezar's goalkeeping magic from the first half and forced the hosts to include all three goalkeepers in today's match.

In the 36th minute Jespper Nöddesbo conceded a straight red card for a foul on Oliver Rabek. Bruno Butorac levelled the score and momentum was on the away side.

Presov took the lead in the 40th minute thanks to Tomas Cip and Mario Cvitkovic. Unlike in previous matches, when the responsibility was all in Igor Chupryna's hands, it was the Croatian backup goalkeeper Cvitkovic who kept the hopes of the visitors alive.

The final minutes were a real drama, but Bruno Butorac and Oliver Rabek were unstopabble. Nikolaj Nielsen could have equalised for Bjerringbro in the dying seconds of the game after Butorac converted a penalty throw but his goal was disallowed.

High scoring back court efficiency in the second half, improved work by the 0-6 defence and the reliable Cvitkovic were the main factors for the surprising, yet deserved win for Presov. Suddenly, with two wins over Bjerringbro, Presov have everything in their own hands.

Bjerringbro coach Peter Bredsdorff remained positive despite the narrow loss.

"We are happy that we after eight games are in a position now where we can do what we have to do with the two last games and go on from the group, and that is our goal," he said.