Kielce strong for Dunkerque even with only nine players

Kielce started their Champions League participation in 2015 with a victory, as they beat Dunkerque 36:32.

The Polish team proceeded with the match in a quite depleted squad. Coach Duyshebaev could use only 9 players, including two goalkeepers, while the rest of the team has still been recovering from injuries.

The situation forced Duyshebaev to come up with some non-standard solutions. The wingers often played as back players and from the first minutes we could see Aginagalde and Bielecki in Kielce defence; it could not go unnoticed because the defence wasn’t really strong.

Dunkerque had no problem with breaking through it and Polish champions conceded goal after goal. In 7. Minute the French team had two-goal-lead (5:3) but it took their rivals 2 minutes to score three times in a row and led 6:5. Dunkerque lost their chance to get back on the lead again when Šego saved a penalty throw and its retake. For the next 15 minutes the game went on really tightly, with a slight edge for Kielce. 3 minutes before the half-time Reichmann gave his team 3-goal-lead (16:13); they set the half-time results scoring in the last seconds at 19:15.

Kielce seemed to take the better start in the second half as they began by netting in their 20. goal but one unsuccessful attack allowed Dunkerque to reduce the gap to three goals (20:17, 33. minute). However, the 3/4-goal-distance was being kept and the French champions couldn’t get closer. Throughout the whole game Kielce had to manage not only without the injured players; players from the court were sent off for two minutes seven times, while Dunkerque lost players only twice. In the end Kielce won 36:32.

The best scorers of the Kielce team were Aginagalde, Bielecki and Čupić by 6 goals; Dunkerque’s best scorer was Butto with 5 goals.

KADETTEN – PICK SZEGED 32:29

TEXT: MARTYNA USNARSKA