03.11.2019, 07:32
Vardar end two-game losing streak; Kiel tighten grip on group B

GROUP B REVIEW: Vardar ended a two-game losing streak in the VELUX EHF Champions League by defeating Meshkov Brest, while THW Kiel extended their unbeaten run to six games, with a win against winless HC Motor Zaporozhye

Vardar end two-game losing streak; Kiel tighten grip on group B

On Sunday in group B of the VELUX EHF Champions League, HC Vardar claimed a dominant win against HC Meshkov Brest, 36:31, while THW Kiel disposed of HC Motor Zaporozhye with a three-goal away win, 30:27.

The defeats for HC Meshkov Brest and HC Motor Zaporozhye mean that they face a huge battle to reach the knockout stages, but the prospects for group leaders THW Kiel and second-placed HC Vardar look bright in this season's competition.   

  • Right back Dainis Kristopans scored nine goals in Vardar's win
  • Mikita Vailupau scored nine goals for Meshkov Brest in the match
  • THW Kiel now hold a three-point lead at the top of the group after their win, while Vardar move into second place
  • Harald Reinkind led the scoring for THW Kiel against Motor Zaporozhye, with seven goals

GROUP B
HC Vardar (MKD) vs HC Meshkov Brest (BLR) 36:31 (19:17)

In what was one of the last chances for HC Meshkov Brest to sneak back into the mix for a Last 16 berth, a win was almost essential for the Belarusian side – particularly as they were already four points behind Vardar in the group standings.
 
The Macedonian side had a two-game losing streak of their own and the importance of a good start was clear and they duly delivered, as the 75 per cent shot efficiency from the first 13 minutes lifted them to a 9:6 lead.
 
With four different players scoring at least three goals in the first half, the Macedonian side looked unstoppable, yet their defence was once again lacking. Brest’s Bosnian right back Marko Panic put four goals past Vardar to keep the guests in the game, 14:13.

Led by a flawless Ivan Cupic, who scored six times in the first half, Vardar held a 19:17 lead at the break, but Brest still looked dangerous.

A 4:1 run to start the second half, inspired by right back Dainis Kristopans, was the building block of Vardar’s win. With the 23:18 lead looking unassailable, Brest's hopes of producing a comeback were let down by their defence – and Vardar cruised to a 36:31 win. 

HC Vardar coach Eduard Koksharov felt his his side "deservedly won."

"We, like them, have a lot of injured players. Because of that, we couldn't play our stronger defence 6-0, but we played more 5-1 defence and I think we generally succeeded," added Koksharov.

The win was enough for the Macedonian side to climb to the second place, with eight points, while Meshkov are still seventh, with two points.

HC Motor Zaporozhye (UKR) vs THW Kiel (GER) 27:30 (13:15)

A win would have meant that THW Kiel opened up a clear gap at the top of the group, but it was not an easy start for the German side, who threw off the game with a slew of misses that helped HC Motor Zaporozhye stay in touch.
 
But as right wing Ole Rahmel started to heat up, Kiel opened up a 8:5 lead, after 12 minutes, with Motor failing to stop Kiel's attack.
 
A 3:0 run from Motor tied the game and prompted a timeout from Kiel’s coach, Filip Jicha, and the German side responded by opening up a two-goal advantage, 12:10.
 
A sturdy Ukrainian side kept pounding, but it was not enough, as Kiel’s defence helped the German side take a 15:13 lead at the break, despite their unexpectedly low 48 per cent attacking efficiency.



Kiel threw off the second half with a 4:1 partial that created the platform to cement their five-game winning streak. With left back Lukas Nilsson in good form, the 'Zebras' were cruising, boasting a five-goal lead, 22:17, with 16 minutes to go.

Motor attempted to mount a comeback and they cut the gap to only one goal, but Kiel proved too strong in the end. The German side took their fifth win in a row in the group, 30:27, and have tightened their grip on the group lead, with 11 points, thanks to a seven-goal outing from Norwegian right back Harald Reinkind.

"I am very glad that we were able to take these two points on the road," said THW Kiel head coach Filip Jicha on his team's win.

HC Motor Zaporozhye's head coach, Nikolay Stepanets, acknowledged Kiel's quality. He said: "It’s hard to fight a rival far above our class. Once again, the skill and class of this team is repeatedly confirmed on the playing court, which is why now Kiel is leading in the standings of our group." 

TEXT: Adrian Costeiu / jw
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