Lomza Industria Kielce and THW Kiel played out a close fight to remain in good positions in group B of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League, with the hosts edging a 40:37 victory.
The hosts turned the encounter around over the last four minutes, thanks mainly to keeper goalkeeper Andy Wolff who kept Kiel's attack at bay, and Alex Dujshebaev, who finished with seven goals.
Group B:
Lomza Industria Kielce (POL) vs. THW Kiel (GER) 40:37 (19:19)
- The match was close throughout, a two-goal gap in the first half was the biggest margin until minute 59
- no team was ahead by more than one goal after 15:13 at minute 20 and until the decisive 39:37 late on
- 21:20 was Kielce's last advantage for more than 20 minutes but Kiel could not pull ahead
- Two Polish internationals stood out in Kielce's attack: wing Arkadiusz Moryto netted six times, while left-back Szymon Sicko scored seven – the same number as Alex Dujshebaev, who scored the winning strikes at the end
- Eric Johansson proved his value for THW Kiel by scoring nine goals for the visitors
Wolff with extra motivation against his former club
It was not the first time that Andy Wolff has faced THW Kiel with Lomza Industria Kielce, but matches against Kiel are still something very special for the German goalkeeper.
The 31 years old was crucial for Kielce's performance, especially in the first 40 minutes, winning the duel with his former teammate and IHF Player of the Year Niklas Landin. His 16 saves provided Kielce with confidence, which allowed them to keep fighting and cast off their opponents only in the final stages.
