Handball Thriller at the Gerry Weber Stadium
Strobel scores in the dying second
TBV Lemgo and VfL Gummersbach go their separate ways after a hard-fought and extremely exciting final period with a 26:26 (12:11) draw.
TBV looked as if they were certain to lose the match against the team in third place in the table, but they showed outstanding spirit and in the end at least secured one point.
Immediately before the whistle there was a minute’s silence for Jürgen Kuchenbecker, TBV manager for many years, who died last week. Volker Mudrow’s starting line-up was then Galia, Geirsson, Kubes, Strobel, Glandorf, Kehrmann and Svavarsson. Kubes was once again playing at left-back, so that at first there was no need for a substitution from attack to defence. The first goal (1st) scored by Strobel was then followed up by Geirsson with a wonderful pass from Kubes, to make it 2:0 (2nd), and they were no signs of the slow start familiar from past games. Gummersbach seemed nervous, making two technical errors in the first three attacks. Zrnic was sent off as early as the 3rd minute, when he approached Geirssonto within a few centimetres on his throw-in.
The visitors’ first goal was scored by Wagner in the 5th minute from the seven-metre spot, to make it 3:1. VfL made good use of the first time penalty against TBV, caused by Holger Glandorf, and brought it back to 4:3 (7th). The visitors then continued with advanced marking of Martin Strobel. But TBV were not impressed. Mark Schmetz increased the lead to 7:4 with a seven-metre penalty in the 11th minute. A man down – this time Kubes was sent off – TBV still kept their advantage, Florian Kehrmann scored on the conunter-attack to make it 8:5. But then TBV’s game became hesitant, Gummersbach were now playing with two advanced markers, Strobel and Glandorf were to be taken out of the game.
TBV were now haveing noticeably more difficulties in building an attack and the visitors, for whom the pivot Robert Gunnarsson had to leave the game with stomach problems, equalised in the 22nd minute at 8:8. Volker Mudrow then took his time-out, 21:47 minutes had been played.
Michael Kraus came into the attack, but failed to score with his first throw because of Stojanovic. Logi Geirsson scored with skill and a great deal of luck on the counter-attack to make it 9:9 (24th), but immediately Zrnich replied. Michael Kraus scored in the 27th minute with a man over to bring it to 10:10, but in the very next attack the Schaller/Wutzler duo sent Florian Kehrmann off the court for 120 seconds, he had caught Krantz in the throat. A few controversial decisions by the men in black had brought the 7,400 spectators to the boil, then Kubes equalised (30th) and after a technical fault by Vukovic, Schmetz scored two seconds before the half-time siren to take the lead amid great celebration.
TBV were back out on the court very quickly and after the break began with the identical line-up to the one at the start of the match. Vignir Svavarsson took the score up to 14:13 with a man over in the 34th minute. In defence, Ilyés came on for the Icelander in the centre, but the Hungarian could not prevent Krantz from equalising. It was then Martin Stobel who scored from the second wave for a score of 15:14. But Gummersbach were not going to be shaken off. TBV were too careless with their chances in this phase, while Stojanovic was the hero in the VfL goal time and again. Schmetz came on for Kehrmann in attack. After a great block by Galia, it was Kubes who brought it to 16:16, but Zrnic kept VfL in front (16:17, 41st). Hermann now replaced Glandorf, Kraus played in the centre, Strobel moved to left back. Daniel Kubes scored in the 44th minute to make it 18:17, the game was swaying back and forth.
Following a collision, Martin Strobel was clearly in pain and had to receive treatment. Mocsai also had to leave the field for two minutes in the 44th minute. Gummersbach equalised through Zrnic, the vistiors’ number 77 then even scored again to bring the score to 18:19 (46th). Hasanefendic then changed back to a 4:0 with two markers, but Hermann fired the ball into the net for a score of 20:20 (49th). At 20:21, Mudrow came on in goal, Lichtlein came on for Galia, Hermann made it 21:21; the game was certainly not for those of a nervous disposition. Szilagyi put Gummersbach ahead, the TBV marking seemed too passive in this phase and allowed the VfL backs, who had to cope without any left-handers, too much free space to move. In the 53rd minute, Gummersbach went into a two-goal lead for the first time through Wagner, the left-outside coming to score from the back of the court unhindered. Mark Schmetz failed in the next scene, hitting the post from the seven-metre spot. To everyone’s surprise, Schaller/Wutzler blew for a foul against Strobel when he had won the ball fairly and then sent Ilyés off for supposedly hanging on to Lützelberger.
Krantz increased the lead in the 56th minute to 22:25 and the match seemed to be over. At 56:57 minutes of play, Volker Mudrow took his time-out for the second period. Schaller/Wutzler then seemed to have sealed the defeat once and for all, blowing for an attacking foul against Kraus in the 58th minute that was more than questionable. Hasanefendic took his time-out at 58:16 minutes of play. TBV got the ball, Mimi Kraus had the chance to make it 25:26 (60th) from the seven-metre spot – and made the most of it. Lützelberger then had to leave the court, bringing Gummersbach to boiling point, as they now saw themselves being disadvantaged. The spectators stood like a wall behind TBV, but justice – at least from the point of view of TBV – was done. Daniel Kubes actually won the ball, the referees refused Kraus a penalty, however, but at 59:57 minutes decided on a free throw instead. The ball ran to Martin Strobel and Lemgo’s number 19 scroed, hitting Gummersbach right in the heart with a point that brought delight to the faces of the Lemgo players.