Wire to Wire Victory in Minden

TBV dominate the East Westphalia derby

TBV Lemgo confidently prevailed over their local rivals GWD Minden with 30-21 (14-11) performing strongly from the start of the away match.

Preconditions before the match were anything but favourable. Ferenc Ilyés complained about strong knee pains during the week, and the club doctor Volker Broy imposed a total ban on him. Daniel Kubes incurred a femoral strain during the final training and he was in danger to be sidelined as well. But the Czech national clenched his teeth and joined the starting line-up.

Volker Mudrow began with Carsten Lichtlein, Logi Geirsson, Michael Kraus, Martin Strobel, Rolf Hermann, Florian Kehrmann and Vignir Svavarsson, Kraus took turns with Kubes in the defence. Kraus scored the first goal for a 1-0 score in the first minute of the match. Kraus also scored the second goal to make the score 2-0 in the fourth minute, after Lichtlein had twice saved well. TBV had started the match brilliantly. Putics didn't score for GWD for 3-1 until the seventh minute. The defence with Kubes/Svavarsson in the middle kept it particularly tight, and hardly let the GWD offence unfold, with Geirsson's double blow increasing the score to 5-1 (10th minute). In the 14th minute it was once again Putics who scored for GWD from the back area. The Hungarian national demonstrated why he is a real gain for Minden, even though — as a right-hander — he had to act in the right back area. But TBV appeared confident, and offensive ideas were competently put into practice on the field. Only the defence left too wide a scope for the above mentioned Putics, in particular.

In the 21st minute, Tamas Mocsai replaced Svavarsson in the centre. The TBV defence promptly caught the ball, and Kehrmann completed the counterattack for the score of 12-7. 22 mintes and 12 seconds had elapsed when GWD coach Richard Ratka called his team to join him for a team-timeout. GWD subsequently caught up to 12-9, as TBV's lack of concentration began to tell. Thus, Volker Mudrow put his green card on the table when the clock showed 25 minutes and 9 seconds. In the 26th minute Aljoscha Schmidt had to leave the field for two minutes, but the ease of TBV's game was gone for the time being. Nevertheless, Hermann increased the score to 13-9 (28th minute). The TBV defence kept it tight in principle, but left a little too much space for Minden in decisive moments. Tamas Mocsai answered the score of 13-11 for GWD virtually on the stroke of full-time when he was able to overpower Medhus with a bouncer coming in the second wave from the left back area. The score was 14-11 at half-time.

Mudrow began the second half with the identical formation as at the end of the first half. Hermann scored the first goal after the break in majority for 15-11 (33rd minute), after Ingimundarson had to leave the field for two minutes. Mocsai went one better for 16-11 (34th minute). TBV had found their rhythm, and were back in the game. And when Kraus scored for a 17-11 lead (35th minute), the victory loomed large, as TBV appeared too strong for GWD. Hermann was lucky and clever with his second shot. The guest team gained the lead with 18-11 in the 37th minute. Kehrmann confirmed the lead of 19-11 in the counterattack shortly afterwards, and forced Richard Ratka to react. The GWD coach took his second half timeout after 37 minutes and 17 seconds of play. However, TBV continued its wonderfully secure game for the time being, as Kraus scored for 20-11. Minden appeared completely baffled.

GWD's first goal in the second half was recorded in the 42nd minute, when a deflected shot by Putics wobbled into the goal. A nasty scene followed on the opposite side when Helmdach viciously seized Martin Strobel in the middle of a goalshot, and was lucky to escape with just a time penalty. The ball nevertheless found its way into the goal, which was being kept by the young Dresrüsse in the mean time. In the 44th minute, TBV incurred their first time penalty. Kubes had to leave the field. But TBV had become so self-confident and masterful that Kehrmann played a Kempa to Kraus, and the right winger increased the score to 24-13 following a quick clean steal. Geirsson successfully converted a ricochet into 27-16 in the 52nd minute. With the exception of a small group of TBV supporters, 3,400 spectators in the Kampa Hall had given up hopes for a turnaround.

The goal scored for 28-16 (53rd minute) by Hermann through Kempatrick after Geirsson's pass was purely playing to the gallery. TBV played wonderfully in the second half. After that, nothing much happened on the field. Lichtlein saved a penalty shot by Schmidt. Minden ultimately improved the final result somewhat, but TBVs victory was decisive, never really in jeopardy, and has clearly whetted their appetite for more.

Comments on the match:

Volker Mudrow: I was obviously very tense before the match, because the personnel situation was very difficult. Rolf Hermann had a very good game, and Holger Glandorf wasn't injured. He received his opportunity from the start, and made very good use of it. Carsten Lichtlein also deserves to be mentioned. He hasn't had a chance to distinguish himself over the past few weeks. Of course, I'm very happy with our win.

Richard Ratka: Congratulations to Lemgo who played confidently and serenely today. We made it very easy for them, of course. We were only able to realize our concepts intermittently. Currently, we are only able to move forward through team spirit and morale. I was missing that today, and it is simply not the way to go. I am very disappointed about that.