TBV defeat in Flensburg

Team lacked power at end

Despite a three-goal lead at one point in the game, TBV Lemgo ultimately suffers a narrow 31:34 (15:17) defeat in Flensburg's Campushalle.

TBV trainer Volker Mudrow began the game in Flensburg with a line-up of Florian Kehrmann, Rolf Hermann, Martin Strobel, Michael Kraus, Jens Bechtloff, Vignir Svavarsson and Carsten Lichtlein in goal. Ferenc Ilyes switched with Kraus in defence. A hamstring injury acquired during the EHF Cup final in Schaffhausen meant top defender, Daniel Kubes, had to sit out. Hermann continued his goal spree from the EHF final by scoring the opening goal during the first offensive, netting the 1:0 for TBV. SG's Oscar Carlen got the equaliser in (1:1) just under one minute later. Not even five minutes were on the clock when TBV trainer Mudrow rearranged the defence into a 5:1 formation with Strobel playing forward. In the 4th minute, Kraus was awarded the first penalty of the game and subsequently notched up the 2:1. Goals from Boesen and Mogensen followed to bring Flensburg into the lead (3:2). SG led from this point on, but TBV kept up and matched them goal for goal, with Hermann's goal duo bringing first the 4:4, then the 5:5 equaliser (12th min.).

In the 14th minute, Flensburg was two goals up (7:5), but TBV remained on the ball. Svavarsson got his first goal of the game in, and Kraus took a second penalty throw awarded after a foul on Kehrmann who Boesen forced into the side mid-air. He confidently brought the score back up to an equal 7:7. Goals by Jacob Heinl and another by Carlen, his third goal of the game, gave Flensburg a two-goal lead once again though so that the score board showed a 9:7 lead for SG following exactly 17 minutes of play. The north German club retained this two-goal lead for the next few minutes. Tamas Mocsai who had meanwhile come on for Strobel shot a pass to Preiß who had taken over from Svavarsson on the circle. TBV's captain thanked Mocsai for the nice play by netting his first goal of the game (10:9; 21st min.). Carlen restored the two-goal lead for SG, but Kraus managed to sneak in his fourth goal to make the score 10:11. Hermann boosted this total further with what was also his fourth goal of the game in the 22nd minute (11:12) before Heinl scored from the circle and Alexander Petterson got two goals in during a short burst of speed from SG to make the lead 15:11 for the team from Flensburg.

Trainer Mudrow called his time-out when 25 minutes were on the clock after which Strobel came back on for Mocsai in the centre position. The trainer's pep talk proved effective: two consecutive goals, from Hermann and Kehrmann, brought TBV back into the game and narrowed the hosts' lead (13:15; 27th min.). Preiß was awarded a two-minute penalty one minute before half-time though, which left TBV to begin the second half two goals and one man down (15:17).

Martin Galia came on in TBV's goal at the start of the second half, but SG was still able to use its player advantage. TBV then tapped into its powerful handball prowess (although they probably still ached from the EHF Cup final and subsequent celebrating): Preiß netted a left-handed throw to bring the score to 16:18, then made it 17:19 following a nice lead from Bechtloff. Mocsai added to this with the 18:19 from the second wave, bringing TBV control of the game.

Hermann and Bechtloff's goals made it a well-deserved 21:21 (36th min.), whilst Kehrmann then scored to bring TBV into the lead. Galia was also on top form during this phase, blocking a penalty throw by Christiansen seconds later. Carlen then called his time-out after 38:04 minutes of play. Both teams missed a few shots in the following minutes, allowing TBV to retain and even extend its lead to a 3-goal advantage, much to the bewilderment of the host team.

Sjöstrand's goal helped the latter find its way back into the game however, and Eggert shot a nice lift over Galia from the penalty line to net the 25:25 equaliser. After a good 45 minutes of play, Glandorf came on for an utterly exhausted Hermann. TBV kept up, but had to resign to letting their opponents take the lead again when Mocsai's goal shot hit the crossbar: Christiansen scored following a counterattack to make it 27:28.

Volker Mudrow called his second time-out after 52:55 minutes of play at which point his team was 27:31 behind; the team's exhaustion was clearly discernible. Yet TBV did not give up, with Glandorf scoring a real cracker and a tireless Kehrmann making it 30:32. But at the end of the day, SG managed to retain the lead until the final siren sounded. TBV put on an honourable performance in the Campushalle, particularly in the second half, and showed that the team had not merely travelled to Flensburg after their stupendous EHF Cup win to hand over some easy points. Instead they proved themselves determined to make up for their lacking strength with commitment and passion. It's just a shame that this wasn't quite enough.