08.03.2015, 03:30
Thüringer secure quarter-final spot thanks to thrilling fight-back

GROUP 1 MATCH REVIEW: Thüringer produced an amazing comeback in the final three minutes to take a point from their clash with Dinamo-Sinara.

Thüringer secure quarter-final spot thanks to thrilling fight-back

Thüringer HC are through to the Women's EHF Champions League Quarter-finals after producing a last-gasp comeback to tie 30:30 with Dinamo-Sinara on Sunday.

The Russian side had been on course to clinch second spot Group 1, but were pegged back in the final three minutes before Iveta Luzumova levelled with a late seven-metre throw.

The draw secures Thüringer's place in the last eight and eliminates Leipzig, while Dinamo could yet slip to third place in the group if they are beaten by Vardar by eight or more goals next week and Thüringer will not beat Leipzig.

The German champions could also leapfrog Vardar into third place in Group 1, if the Macedonian side lose.

Women's EHF Champions League Group 1

Dinamo-Sinara (RUS) vs Thüringer HC (GER) 30:30 (16:13)

A virtuoso display from Dinamo-Sinara's three-pronged attack of Anna Kochetova, Olga Akopian and Daria Dmitrieva was not enough to provide the Russian champions with victory against Thüringer.

Kochetova and Dmitrieva scored nine goals apiece and Akopian added seven, as the trio combined for 83% of their team's goals.

But despite building two healthy leads, the German champions twice fought back to earn an unlikely draw.

There were six lead changes in the contest, and Dinamo let a 15:10 advantage slip away in the early stages of the second half.

Viktor Ryabykh's team recovered, however, and appeared set to secure their third Group 1 win when goalkeeper Anna Sedoykina scored her second goal in this year's competition, with a perfect throw to put her team 30:26 in front with 3:42 remaining.

Thüringer were still not beaten, though. The visitors responded with a full-court press and seven-player attack, which yielded rapid results as Lydia Jakubisova, Katrin Engel and Sonja Frey found the net in quick succession.

It seemed just a matter of time until they would get another chance to tie, and that moment arrived in the final 10 seconds, and was grasped by Luzumova, in the form of a sensational seven-metre throw to send her team into the quarter-finals.

TEXT: Adrian Costeiu / jh