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Zagreb stun Vardar as Celje scrape draw at Kristianstad
- Updated: October 22, 2016
HC PPD Zagreb chalked up their first two points of the season in the most unlikely fashion, having beaten strong favourites Vardar 28:27 as the Macedonian giants suffered their first VELUX EHF Champions League defeat this term.
In Sweden, IF Kristianstad and RK Celje Pivovarna Lasko fought out an absorbing 29:29 draw after the lead changed hands time and again, before Blaz Janc salvaged a point for the Slovenian side on the buzzer. • Zagreb gave new coach Silvio Ivandija a winning debut • The Croatian title holders wiped out a five-goal deficit • Kristianstad missed a chance to beat Celje in a thriller GROUP B IFK Kristianstad (SWE) vs RK Celje Pivovarna Lasko (SLO) 29:29 (14:11)
IFK Kristianstad seemed poised for a comfortable win against Celje after racing into an early 4:1 lead, which increased to 11:7 in the closing stages of the first half as the Swedish side’s smooth attacking kept the visitors on the back foot.
The trio of Jerry Tollbring, Olafur Gudmundsson and Tim D. Sörensen gave their Slovenian rivals a roasting in the opening period, pulling all the strings and netting three goals each for the home side.
Celje fight back
Having committed too many turnovers in the opening period, Celje looked like a different side after the break as Blaz Janc took charge and rifled in a series of long-range efforts which turned the match on its head.
Celje drew level at 16:16 and then nosed ahead 21:19, silencing the vociferous Swedish crowd as the home side’s attack was ground to a screeching halt.
From there on it was a see-saw battle, with Kristianstad turning the tide to lead 25:24 thanks to the unstoppable Tollbring, who finished as their top scorer with eight goals.
It was Celje’s turn to force another twist as they edged ahead 26:25 before they again conceding two unanswered goals, giving the home side the upper hand in a dramatic finish. Janc denies Kristianstad
Kristianstad looked home and dry after carrying a one-goal lead (29:28) into the final 20 seconds of the game, but the …
