 Clear win for Kolding in dress rehearsal against Holstebro
Only four days before the first leg of the EHF Cup Quarter-final tie between KIF Kolding and Team Tvis Holstebro, Kolding got the best possible dress rehearsal by taking a clear victory in the two teams´ meeting in the Danish championship play-offs.
1,522 spectators in the Gråkjær Arena of Holstebro saw Kolding win 26:19, a result that put Kolding through to the semi-finals of the play-offs, while Holstebro lost their last chance of reaching the final four in the Danish league this season.
Team Tvis Holstebro were leading at the start, but after Kolding had equalized around the middle of the first half, the visitors were in the lead for the rest of the match, and after being up 13:11 at half time, Kolding managed to increase the distance throughout the second half.
“We went to Holstebro to qualify for the semi-finals, we succeeded with that, and furthermore we got a perfect preview before the two extremely important matches we are going to play against Tvis in the next two weekends,” KIF Kolding´s head coach Peter Bredsdorff-Larsen told eurohandball.com.
The match included a comeback for former Danish international Joachim Boldsen who had been sidelined with an injured arm since Kolding´s league game against TMS Ringsted on 13 February.
While Boldsen was back on the court, two of Kolding´s other experienced key players, Kim Andersson and Lars Jørgensen sat the match out, nursing minor injuries.
“They are both fit for the EHF Cup quarter-final on Sunday – which means that we will be in our strongest line-up for the first time since the middle of the autumn,” Bredsdorff-Larsen said.
As for Team Tvis Holstebro, head coach Klavs Bruun Jørgensen demanded more attitude for the upcoming EHF Cup quarter-finals.
“We have more in us than we show at the moment. Now we have to find our personal and professional pride. If we are to win over all against KIF, there is no doubt that it will take something extraordinary, on the court as well as on the bench,” Klavs Bruun Jørgensen told his club´s website.
Michael Damgaard was Team Tvis Holstebro´s top scorer with eight goals, while Kasper Irming scored seven for Kolding.
The first leg of the EHF Cup semi-final tie between Kolding and Holstebro is taking place in Brøndbyhallen by Copenhagen, one of Kolding´s two home courts, on Sunday at 17:00 CET, while the second leg will be held at the Gråkjær Arena in Holstebro the following weekend.
TEXT: Peter Bruun / cor
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