15.10.2007, 01:57
Velenje survive Bosna's threat

Velenje started very well, but Bosna could almost equalise in the second half.

Velenje survive Bosna's threat

Bosna Sarajevo arrived in Slovenia for the third round match against Gorenje with some respect, but offered great resistance in the second half. The Slovenian team had to fight hard for the two points.

The first ten minutes of the match played in Rdeca dvorana in Velenje brought a very close game. Bosna’s goalkeeper, Adnan Sabanovic, was in superb form and stopped many Gorenje shots (7 saves in 10 minutes – 19 at the end).

Golcar and Dobelsek unstoppable

Ivica Obrvan's team started to play better after 7:7 also in defence and Primoz Prost started to save well for the hosts. Bosna could not score for 9 minutes, while Gorenje's Rok Golcar and Jure Dobelsek were unstoppable. It was 14:7 in the 19th minute and Gorenje won the first half easily by 18:12.

Hamandic turned the result

The second half saw a completely different game. Drago Vukovic was injured, Gorenje lost their rhythm and Bosna took advantage of it. Playmaker Adnan Harmandic was prolific from counter attacks and it was 24:21 in the 50th minute, 27:25 in the 55th. With the goals of Petar Kapisoda they came close to Gorenje, but this time the hosts were able to endure the pressure and won by 30:27 at the end.

"We played two different halves. In the first half, we were completely lost and it decided the match. In the second we were much better than Velenje," said Bosna Sarajevo’s coach, Jovan Elezovic. He promised to take their own back:

"I know that my boys did not show everything they know. I’m still waiting for their maximum."

Adnan Harmandic added: "I can say that the opponents were not so much better, we played badly. I can promise we will show our real face in Sarajevo at the return match."

Gorenje Velenje's coach, Ivica Obrvan, was happy:

"We completed our plan partly. We won, but we could not win by a greater margin at the end. I told the players not to panic if the advantage melts in the second half, but they did. When they are nervous they loose lot of balls. This is the reason we only won by few goals."

Primoz Prost saved 15 shots. He also knows that Gorenje could have played better:

"All in all, we can be happy. We have two points, but we have to carry on."

TEXT: Maja Mastnak, Sportal (http://sportal.siol.net/default.asp)