Fredric Pettersson, Skånela IF. Photo: Matthew Tipple
Before tonight’s match between Skånela IF and Eskilstuna Guif, neither team had won yet this season. It was Skånela who took the first victory of the season and it was convincing: 41–26. Thus a bit of peace of mind for the Master Team while the crisis deepens in Guif.
Two teams without victories thus met in Vikingahallen tonight. Skånela with no losses and Guif with a draw and the rest zero points. In other words, it was set up for an anxious meeting, but nothing showed. At least not in the home team from Märsta.
After almost eleven minutes, the away coach Zoran Roganovic took a timeout for the first time, when the score was 8-2 to Skånela. Until then, absolutely nothing had worked for Guif, who sloshed away attack after attack and didn’t seem willing to play defensively.
Guif managed to rally somewhat at the end of the first half and the team’s only clear period of the match came at that stage. Despite that, the score at halftime was 19–13 to Skånela.
The second half barely had time to start before Skånela pulled away again and at 26-15, Roganovic took another timeout. It didn’t help much and Skånela could continue to do as they wanted against a Guif who at that point had given up a long time ago.
The difference between the teams was as great as the result suggests. 41–26 for Skånela after they stood for better individual performances (mainly from Gustav Näslund and Simon Lindberg), better team effort and, above all, better attitude and embrace the hell.
Fredric Pettersson made his debut for Skånela and scored three goals in three appearances. The lineman had an upfront interesting battle against Jesper Nielsen on the line, but the latter (just like his teammates) had a tough night and was red-carded in the second half.
First win of the season for Skånela and thus Guif is a new jumbo in the Handball League. The crisis is getting deeper in Eskilstuna.
