Courtesy: UEFA.com

Debutants Skövde through in style

Wednesday, 13 September 2006

Skövde AIK clinched UEFA Futsal Cup preliminary round Group C wuth a game to spare - and then celebrated their victory with an 8-2 win against Hibernians FC.

Exciting encounter
The first team to represent Sweden in this competition, Skövde were up against Bulgarian group hosts FC Mladost, Albanian champions KF Tirana and Maltese debutant Hibernians for the one available place in the qualifying round. And it was a good start for Skövde as they defeated Tirana 8-5. Oskar Nielsen, Florian Manastirliu's own goal and Oskar Öst put Skövde 3-0 up at half-time and Jakob Orlov increased the lead. Rigers Sina pulled one back but Johny David and Claes Espefält then struck. Lorind Xhaierraj and Manastirliu - at the right end - reduced arrears but David struck again, and although Elton Mucollari scored twice in the 38th minute for Tirana, Orlov had the last word.

Kalchev heroics
Hosts Mladost then won 4-3 against Hibernians, thanks to Daniel Kalchev's hat-trick. His first was son 15 minutes and although Nedjosa Mijailovic and Branko Pantelic scored early in the second half, Nikolay Tzanev equalised and Kalchev claimed two more before Hibernians' Slavko Vukanovic set up an exciting finish.

Skövde through
Hibernians then lost 7-3 to Tirana to start Matchday 2, although Vojko Martinovic scored first. Elton Mucollari swiftly levelled from the spot and Lorind Xhaierraj and Rigers Sina struck for Tirana, and although Martinovic claimed a goal just before half-time, Mucollari , Manastirliu, Denis Lika and Andrea Kola put the game beyond the Albanian side, though Mikailovic did pull one back. That result meant a Skövde win would confirm first place, and they duly defeated Mladost 4-2. Marin Jelev scored the only goal for the first half for Mladost, Nielsen, David and Johan Johansson turned the game after the break. Aleksei Stepanov gave Mladost hope before Nielsen's late clincher.

Nineteen-goal thriller
Tirana and Mladost now met for second place - and it was the team from Albania that prevailed in a thriller 10-9, though two players on each side were shown red cards. Skövde, though, were uncatchable and five unanswered second-half goals ensured a happy conclusion against Hibernians. They now progress to qualifying round Group 2 to meet hosts MNK Split, Athina '90 of Greece and Azerbaijan's Araz Naxçivan from 12-15 October.





Courtesy: UEFA.com

Nafta edge out fellow debutants

Thursday, 14 September 2006

FK Nafta Mazeikiai made the most of home advantage in UEFA Futsal Cup preliminary round Group D to seal progress on their competition debut - but only after a final-day thriller against Parnassos Nicosia.

Vital equaliser
Before the two teams met today in Kaunas, Nafta had six points to Parnassos's four, and needed only a draw to progress. Chrysanthos Zampas put the Cypriot side into a ninth-minute lead, but Saulius Lesnickas equalised six minutes later. With only three minutes to go, though, Costas Poliviou struck for Parnassos, and Nafta were staring down the barrel, but Antanas Bulosas swiftly levelled the scores and the Lithuanian champions progress to qualifying round Group 4 in the Czech Republic from 12-15 October, where they will meet FC Dorozhnik Minsk of Belarus, Georgia's Iberia 2003 Tbilisi and hosts CC LKW Jistebník.

Nafta edge ahead
The decisive nature of the showdown between Nafta and Parnassos looked assured after Matchday 1. Parnassos kicked off against Austria's first-ever representatives USC Eugendorf and raced to a 5-1 win. Charalambos Demetriou made it 1-0 and Manolis Manoli added another before Franz Schinagel pulled one back just prior to the break. Poliviou effective decided the game with goals on 30 and 35 minutes before Zampas's late effort. Not to be outdone, Nafta saw off German debutants UFC Münster 8-1. Kestutis Nepas, Antanas Tautvydas and Mindaugas Delkus made it 3-0 at half-time, and although Julian Offermann responded from the spot, a nine-minute Bulosas hat-trick was followed by a goals from Andrius Zukovas and Aurelijus Vekerotas.

Münster fightback
It looked like Münster were heading for defeat againa day later when Chrysostomos Chrysostomou and Andreas Andreou gave Parnassos a 2-0 lead. But Gereon Quick got off the mark on the half-hour, and after Parnassos's Giorgos Georgiou was shown a second yellow card, Christian Wenning equalised at the death. Nafta could now move clear and goals early in the second half against Eugendorf from Tautvydas and Zukovas ensured they did just that.

Final-day draws
So the scene was set for the meeting of the top two, and Nafta's point was enough to ensure Parnassos departed unbeaten on their European bow. The earlier game had also finished 2-2, as Münster secured third place. Edin Huseinovic scored early for Eugendorf but David Hellendrung scored for the German trailblazers on 15 and 34 minutes. Franz Schinagel levelled to give Eugendorf a first point late on.



Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com