IMPORTANT WIN IN A THRILLING CONTEST
Photo: HØJ Elite
Grindsted Håndbold – HØJ Elite 29-31 (15-14)
Yesterday's crucial league clash in Grindsted turned out to be exactly as tough a task as we'd expected. The home side came out brimming with energy and belief, so we had to graft hard for all 60 minutes before we could come away with the win in this important encounter.
The game was tight throughout the first half, played at a breathless tempo, so it was no surprise at all that the scoreline was almost level at the break. (15-14)
In the second half our favourites kept up the same work rate and concentration undeterred, and after just under 34 minutes of play, that was the last time the home side could register a lead.
Till Klimpke was a key man for large stretches of the game, posting an impressive save percentage of fully 44 – with 11 saves from 25 shots in open play.
In defence every single player put in a tremendous shift – and especially in the second half we stood firm in the back lines. At the same time, Niclas Fingren played one of his very best defensive games in the HØJ shirt to date. A fantastic performance.
Things also started clicking more and more in attack, and around the halfway point of the second half Simen Schønningsen hammered the ball into the net with a fine underarm finish to put HØJ Elite 25-22 ahead.
After that Grindsted never managed to draw level again, and a strong-playing Kassem Awad, who just keeps delivering both on the line and in defence, scored our final goal, so it all ended with a 31-29 win for HØJ Elite.
There were strong performances all the way around, so once again it was a collective triumph. Beyond those already mentioned, it's also worth noting that fully 10 of our 31 goals were delivered by our strong wings, with Hampus Wanne and Tobias Nielsen each chalking up 5 goals.
Linus Arnesson and Michael Damgaard were sparkling once again and in great spirits, with the latter incidentally sharing the top scorer honours with 7 goals – the same tally as the in-form Kassem Awad.
A big and well-deserved thank you also goes out to the HØJ family, who travelled along to Grindsted in fine numbers on Wednesday evening. It was fantastic to feel the support and backing from the stands throughout the whole game.
Now we can start preparing for the two upcoming home games against Fredericia HK (Saturday), while Sønderjyske likewise visit Ølstykke-Hallen a week later. (15/11)
Tickets for these matches can be bought at billetsalg.dk/høj
HØJ Elite – Unity and Community in a Class of Its Own.
