19.08.2018, 11:30
Austria claim gold on home court

FINAL REVIEW: Host nation hold their nerve to emerge victorious in a low-scoring Men’s 18 EHF Championship Final

Austria claim gold on home court

Sunday’s Men’s 18 EHF Championship Final saw host nation Austria come out on top of a low-scoring tussle with Czech Republic to claim the title in front of a full house in Tulln.

The two outstanding sides in the competition finally came face-to-face in the decider and there was little to choose between the sides in the opening quarter hour.

A five-goal run for Austria then turned the game on its head and they held a commanding 12:7 lead at the break.

Try as they might, Czech Republic struggled to find a way past Constantin Möstl between the Austrian posts and they never really threatened their lead.

Austria’s fans could savour the final minutes of the match as they cruised to a 23:17 win, which not only handed them the title, but a spot in both the Men’s 18 and 20 EHF EURO events in two years’ time.

Final ranking

1. Austria
2. Czech Republic
3. Netherlands
4. Turkey
5. Slovakia
6. Ukraine
7. Montenegro
8. Latvia
9. Bulgaria
10. Kosovo
11. Great Britain
12. Ireland

TEXT: Chris O'Reilly