Sävehof end five-match losing run

After beating Kastamonu Belediyesi GSK at home in October (28:26), IK Sävehof could not earn any points in five straight DELO EHF Champions League encounters.

However, now the Swedish side ended that unlucky run, as they once again defeated Kastamonu, this time 29:26 away in Turkey.

GROUP B
Kastamonu Belediyesi GSK (TUR) vs IK Sävehof (SWE) 26:29 (14:16)

• Sävehof used a 4:1 run to pull in front 10:6 midway through the first half
• a string of Marina Rajcic's saves helped Kastamonu to cut the deficit to two goals at half-time
• while the hosts drew level at 20:20, the visitors then enjoyed a 6:2 run to create a four-goal cushion, and they went on to clinch a win
• Börjesson, who was particularly impressive late in the game, finished it with 14 saves and 41 per cent save efficiency
• her teammate Tolstrup Petersen scored seven goals, while Kastamonu's top scorer Jovanka Radicevic netted six times
• a win saw Sävehof climbing to the sixth place with six points, while Kastamonu extended their losing run to 11 games

New coach, same result

On the eve of this match, Kastamonu parted ways with head coach Costica Buceschi and appointed Hakan Günal instead. He has already worked with the team before and led it to some successful results, yet now his return did not help Kastamonu to end their long-lasting losing streak. While Kastamonu had a chance to claim some points, they ultimately suffered their 11th straight defeat in the competition. With three matches to go, they retain just a marginal chance to reach the playoffs.

Hakan Günal, Kastamonu coach: “Today we didn’t win but we tried our best and fought hard. With this match we mathematically lost the chance to go to the play-offs, so from now on it is about prestige and showing that we fight on the court. We fought until the end but made many basic mistakes in the second half, which was one of the reasons why we lost today.”

Majda Mehmedovic, Kastamonu left wing: “Sävehof played really well and in the end they were much better than us. Handball is about fighting and I'm really happy that we showed fighting spirit today and I’m proud of my girls that we never gave up. Kastamonu is playing in the Champions League for the first time and it’s really hard because other teams and players have much more experience than us, so we need to build step-by-step and nothing will happen overnight.”

Rasmus Overby, Sävehof coach: “I’m very satisfied with our win today. We managed to step up in defence, especially in the second half where we ran a lot and got some easy goals. These two points are very important for us if we are going to advance to the play-offs.”

Thea Blomst, Sävehof line player: ”It was a good and tough match with a lot of energy. We improved our defence in the second half and helped each other out, which made it easier for us.”