Top British teams preparing for European action

TWO of the strongest domestic teams in Britain, London GD and Ruislip Eagles men are preparing to take on some tough opponents in European competitions.

Each season the top teams from each country qualify for one of three levels of European competition, and London GD will play in the EHF Cup, while Ruislip Eagles will see action in the EHF Challenge Cup.

Third in last season’s National League, London GD are first in action playing Danish side KIF Kolding away on both September 15 and 16. The winner on aggregate goes through to the second round of the competition on October 13/14 and October 20/21.

National League runners-up Ruislip Eagles face three opponents in three days in the Challenge Cup.

They travel to Chisinau in Moldova for their matches, which begin with a game against home side Olimpus 85 USEFS on October 12.

The following day they play Cypriot outfit SPE Strovolos, and then finally take on Lithuania’s Dragunas on October 14.

English National League winners Salford turned down their invitation to play in European competition for financial reasons.

Ruislip Eagles win EHA Cup

RUISLIP Eagles were crowned Women’s EHA Cup winners after a thrilling 24-22 victory over arch rivals London GD in the final at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre on Saturday.

The two evenly matches sides, who have shared the national titles between them for several years, were well matched again throughout the first half, but the Eagles got ahead with fast break goals which gave them an 11-7 lead at half time.

A two-minute suspension of a Ruislip player gave London GD the edge for the opening few minutes of the second half, and they fought back well. But the Eagles still managed to maintain a three-goal lead.

However, a purple patch for London GD helped them battle back to 15-15, and with ten minutes to go they went in front 20-18, despite being a player down for a period.

But Ruislip kept their nerve and clawed back the deficit to take the win by two goals.

EHA Cup finals this Saturday

CRYSTAL Palace National Sports Centre is the venue for England Handball’s finals day this Saturday, a great chance to see some of the best handball the country has to offer!

Four great matches have been lined up, and for the participants it will mark the end of a long season of handball action which has seen them reach the final hurdle.
The EHA Men’s Plate will see Deva and Olympia do battle at 11.30am, with the presentation to the winner at 12.40pm.

The Under-18 Girls Cup final sees North East Manchester Hawks take on Wirral at 1.20pm, with the presentations following at 2.20pm.

The Hawks are also in the Under-18 Boys final and face Warrington at 2.35pm, with presentations at 3.55pm.

Finally, the EHA Women’s Cup final will see London GD take on Ruislip Eagles at 4.50pm, with presentations at 6pm.

The final of the EHA Men’s Cup will take place at Bethnal Green on June 30 between Salford and London GD.

Ruislip Eagles women win the league

RUISLIP Eagles Ladies successfully defended their National League title by securing a comfortable 32-20 win against Olympia on Sunday.

With London GD fielding a weakened team and unexpectedly losing their final game against Thames in the match before, Ruislip had the luxury of knowing that they were champions again before the match even started but were determined to finish with another victory.

The match was tightly contested throughout the first half with Olympia’s Dorota Basta playing an influential part but gradually Eagles exerted their influence over the game and went in at half time with a two goal lead.

From then on the result was never in doubt as Ruislip stepped up with the fast breaks and Dani Sposi scored 10 goals to ensure the comfortable win but it was not a match that pleased coach Mel Chowns from an aesthetic point of view.

“I am delighted we have won the league again but this was not a pretty match for the spectators and not our best performance but I guess that doesn’t matter on a day like today. We have had a very tough season with some horrendous injuries to key players so I am very proud of the team to keep going and secure another title.”

Ruislip Eagles and London GD will contest the Cup Final on June 9th but Ruislip could well be without Coach Chowns and Dani Sposi who are on GB duty in Spain.

London GD keep title hopes alive

London GD maintained the push for the Men’s National League title when they beat Leeds Hornets 40-24 at the Greenbank Sports Academy in Liverpool on Sunday.

Second in the table, London GD will need to win their remaining two matches – and hope Salford lose both theirs – if they are to take the 2011-12 title.

Against Leeds, London GD had Juan Carrasco to thank for scoring ten goals, while Phillip Altong chipped in the eight.

Marcin Cwik scored 13 for Leeds, but it was not enough to avoid defeat for a Hornets team who had just the seven bare players for the match.

In other matches, third-placed Ruislip Eagles beat Manchester 31-24 with Christian Nguelo scoring seven goals. For Manchester, Minas Georgiou and Semit Liatouji both scored seven goals, but Manchester couldn’t overhaul their opponents.

Table-topping Salford were given a 10-0 walkover in their clash with Cambridge, who failed to raise a side for the match.

But Salford’s title is far from certain – their final two matches in the play-offs are against second-placed London GD and third-placed Ruislip Eagles.

London GD edge past rivals Ruislip

London GD edged to a thrilling 25-24 victory over arch rivals Ruislip Eagles in the latest action from the English Women’s League.

The match at the new SportHouse facility in Barking was close throughout, although Ruislip had edged ahead 11-13 at the break, only for London GD to hit back and take the win by the narrowest of margins.

Before that clash, Olympia beat Warrington Wolves 36-22 in the day’s other league match. Ten goals from Dorota Basta and nine from Souniv Naess helped them take the win.

But that was not the end of the day for Warrington Wolves, who had a short break before having to play Thames in the EHA Cup two hours later.

However, their efforts took their toll and Warrington went down 34-22, with Thames’ top-scorer being Emilie Enger Has with seven goals.

Salford book European slot

SALFORD secured their return to European competition for the first time in nearly 20 years when they beat National League play-off rivals Ruislip Eagles 32-24 on Sunday.

The victory keeps Salford top of the play-off table and extends their unbeaten run to 23 games. It also ensures they will finish in the top three, thereby giving them a spot in the European Challenge Trophy.

Salford's coach Bill Baillie said after the game: "This was a great result for us. Not only has it kept our place at the top of the league but it has also given us a great confidence boost for our next match against reigning league champions London GD. The fact that it has also secured our return to European Competition is just a massive bonus and reflects on all the hard work that has been put in this season.”

Any game against Ruislip is a tough test. Having been leaders of the southern section for much of the season and having defeated Salford on their last three meetings, Ruislip would go into the game as favourites. However, Salford were keen to exorcise past demons and come out of the game with the win they needed to secure a much prized European spot.

The game started off close with both sides swapping early goals, after 10 minutes Salford had managed to retain a slender one goal lead at 4:3. As the half progressed the crowd were entertained by some attractive handball from both sides. But, the strength of the Salford defence combined with their speed and creativity in attack meant that Salford never relinquished their early lead.

With 25 minutes gone Salford were four up, but some late mistakes in the half allowed the southerners to come back to within two at half time, Salford going in ahead 14:12.

The second half started well for Salford as they extended their lead to five goals. However, Ruislip weren't going to give in without a fight and brought the score back to within three. But that was the closest they were to come.

The strength of the Salford defence just proved too much for the Ruislip attack. Every goal scored had to be hard won. The Salford defence was unyielding, so much so that only four shots on the Salford goal came from the six-metre line.

Ruislip's attempts to break through being akin to King Knute trying to stop the tide. A sterling team effort combined with probably the performance of the day from Salford's Matt Lee made sure that just wasn't going to happen.

After 40 minutes of the game the constant pressure told and Salford managed to further extend their lead. After 50 minutes it was back out to 5 goals and by the end of the game the gap had grown to 8. Salford ending up deserved winners by 32 goals to 24.

Notable performances on the day came from Salford's Rafik Tahraoui and Ruislip's Ludovic Cros who both scored eight goals. But, as already mentioned, the performance of the day came from Salford's defensive stalwart Matt Lee.

* In other play-off action, London GD maintained second spot with a 31-20 victory over Manchester, while Cambridge won the clash of the bottom two, beating Leeds Hornets 29-13.

Top clash in Play-Off Race

LEADERS Salford take on Ruislip Eagles in the second round of National League play-off matches at the Greenbank Sports Academy in Liverpool on Sunday.

The clash between the teams lying first and third could prove crucial to both side’s hopes of winning the league and going forward to European competition this summer.

In other matches that day, second-placed London GD will be aiming to keep pace with Salford when they take on Manchester, while the play-off’s bottom two teams, Leeds Hornets and Cambridge, will meet.

Frontrunners all win in Play-Offs

AFTER just one week of the English National League play-offs, the frontrunners are already starting to pull away following matches at Leyton SCORE Centre on Sunday.

Salford are top of the table after beating Cambridge 25-19 but had a tough job in battling past their southern rivals, who were holding them 9-11 at half time. Ryan Goodwin scored five goals for Salford, while Chris Bentz also netted five for Cambridge.

Elsewhere, third-placed Ruislip Eagles beat Manchester 32-19.

Last year defeat against Manchester at the exact same stage of the competition cost the Eagles the National title.

But on Sunday the Eagles did not make the same mistake. Although the start of the game was slow and marred by several offensive mistakes and technical faults, the Eagles regrouped and started taking control of the game a few minutes before the half time break when the score was 16-12.

Without complacency, they started the second half dominantly and used the depth of their bench to increase the gap. The defence appeared focused and solid around the goalkeeper Andrius Rinkevicius who conceded only seven goals in the second half.

Christin Nguelo with seven goals finished top scorer for the Eagles, but at the end it is a good collective performance that allowed the Eagles to take a clear victory 32-19.

In other matches, London GD maintained second spot with a 36-20 victory over Leeds Hornets.

The play-offs continue on March 11 at Greenbank Sports Academy in Liverpool with Salford v Ruislip, Manchester v London GD and Leeds Hornets v Cambridge.

Champions beat rivals Ruislip

REIGNING English National League champions London GD are just one win away from securing the southern section title after beating rivals Ruislip Eagles 33-23 at Leyton SCORE Centre in London on Sunday.

The Eagles beat them by one point back in January, but London GD secured a revenge victory which leaves them in a strong position heading into the end of season play-offs.

Ruislip were looking to record a fourth straight win and remain undefeated in 2012, but did not have the means to stop London GD despite the return of some key players.

The first half was hotly-contested, and although London GD were ahead for most of the half the Eagles were not outdistanced and had opportunities to hit back (HT: 15-12).

However, after the break the Eagles lost concentration and were punished. They didn’t pose a threat in attack and wasted fast breaks, and Goalkeeper Reda Sebbatta was on top form for London GD stopping several seven-metre throws.

London GD increased the gap easily as the all-important discipline and team unit in defence was lacking on the Eagles side. The gap rose to double digits at the final whistle (33-23).

In other action in the southern section, Cambridge and Oxford University drew 22-22.

Oxford were just ahead by one goal at the break, and the match remained close throughout.

Seco scored six times for Cambridge, while Oxford’s best was Tim Schmidt-Eisenlohr with five.

This final match in the southern section will be between London GD and Oxford University on February 23 (8pm), following which the play-offs will begin on February 26.

* And in the Women’s National League, London GD beat Warrington Wolves 24-13.

Eagles Beat Oxford to Maintain Title Hopes

Table-topping Ruislip Eagles secured a 37-25 win over Oxford on Sunday as their bid for the English National League’s southern title continued.

The match had all the attributes of a trap for the Eagles. The weather and driving conditions to reach Northampton where the game took place were difficult, and a few key missing players could have proven detrimental for a game that Oxford badly needed to win to boost their chances of qualifying for the play offs.

However, Ruislip players were ready to make the efforts and showed it right at the start of the game. Defence was solid despite Oxford scoring a few strong nine-metre goals, and attacking movements were played with good confidence.

Despite a man-marking defence on Ruislip playmaker Max Rebelle, the Eagles increased the tempo and Oxford could not stop the likes of in-form Fredrik Charpentier and Xavier Burin (top scorer for the Eagles with 7 goals). Andrius Rinkevicius produced several saves and could find Yohann Lucas for the fast breaks allowing Ruislip to reach halftime with a 5 goal lead (18-13).

The Eagles kept the same commanding attitude in second half making the efforts in the defensive moves symbolized by a great defensive retreat from Azzedine Messis that lifted the spirit of the players. Ruislip could then seize every Oxford attacking mistakes to punish them with several fast break goals which meant a comfortable 12-goal lead at the end of the game.

In other action, reigning champions London GD scraped a narrow 32-31 win over Cambridge.

This Sunday, Ruislip and London GD will play each other at Leyton SCORE Centre in a battle to decide who wins the southern section.

Eagles Progress in EHA Cup

IN-FORM Ruislip Eagles beat Thames 26-21 in their EHA Cup clash at Leyton SCORE Centre on Sunday.

Level at 9-9 at half time, the Eagles edged clear in the second half but were made to work hard by a determined Thames side before taking the win.

Thames will now face Warrington Wolves in the Cup in a match that decides whether they will progress to the next round. Ruislip will play Warrington Wolves two weeks later, followed by matches involving the other teams, London GD and Olympia.

Top scorers in the match were Maria Kourdoulos with six goals followed by Live Kolstad Kvalsvik with five for Thames. For Ruislip, A. Slanto scored seven and C. Dreksler added six.

Eagles Maintain Good Form

AFTER beating London GD the previous week, Ruislip Eagles maintained their great form when they battled back from a half-time deficit to overcome Olympia 30-24.

Olympia were the only team to beat the Eagles the previous year, so Ruislip were eager to defend top spot in the table.

They made a slow start and Olympia led throughout the first half. They extended their lead to four goals on a number of occasions, but Ruislip managed to strike back thanks to Nguelo and Laperdrix.

The end of the first half saw us closing the gap thanks to Messis who scored four goals in a row and also goalkeeper Bauer who saved many shots at critical moments.

The second half started with better teamwork as Ruislip managed to pull level with their opponents just three minutes after the beginning and eventually taking the lead thanks to Cros who went on to score five goals in the second half.

The Eagles started to play with fluent movements and nice attacking tactics, allowing them to take a five-goal lead with 10 minutes left on the clock. However, a few attacking mistakes and fast-breaks from the opponents saw our advance being reduced to two goals with five minutes left and a man down for two-minute penalty.

Olympia decided to change their defence in order to put more pressure on our attacking scheme but as we had many fresh substitutes they managed to score even more and the goal difference went back to six. With a goal at the buzzer from our goalkeeper Rinkevicius, the final score was 30 - 24.

Their victory means Ruislip Eagles have qualified for the play-offs, but with two games left against London GD and Oxford University, they will want to maintain their good form and give themselves a head-start in the play-offs.

* In other matches in the Southern Section, London GD beat Cambridge 40-29, while Oxford University beat Bath University 35-27.

Ruislip Eagles Battle to Win over London GD

RUISLIP Eagles climbed to the top of the English National League’s southern section after securing a nail-biting one-point victory over reigning champions London GD at Leyton on Sunday.

The match was close throughout, but the Eagles emerged 24-23 winners after a late fast break goal from Ludovic Cros.

Ruislip made a slow start against the London GD, who raced into a 8:2 lead after a few minutes. The Eagles had to endure the unfortunate injury of key player Akos Weress and suffered too many missed shots and turnovers, which were instantly punished by their opponents.

However the Eagles managed to stay calm and composed by regrouping in defence with the entrance of the goalie Andrius Rinkevicius. With a few fast breaks - and David Sedlacek scoring seven-metre shots - Ruislip were able to crawl back and were down by two goals at half time (11-13).

With a positive half time speech the Eagles came back on court with a more aggressive defence who troubled GD. Important goals from Sedlacek, Lucas and seven-metre shots from Erwann Laperdrix allow Ruislip to take the lead, but the rollercoaster continued until the closing stages of the game.

Some clear chances that could have given some breathing space were not converted though and battling GD refused to lie down and always scored when they needed. Both teams were made to work hard until the end but on a fast break Ludovic Cros scored the crucial winning goal.

In other action in the southern section, Cambridge drew 21-21 with Olympia. For Cambridge, Zsolt Majoras scored six, while Mohamed El Hawary and Toufik Hadadou both scored the same number for Olympia.

In the Women’s National League, six goals from Prescyllia Engala helped London GD cruise to a 13-27 victory over Thames.

* In the northern section, fifth-placed Deva’s expectations of moving into the top four were shattered when they lost out to Speke Garston following a resolute determined performance form the Liverpool team.

Defences were tight in the opening ten minutes, but Liverpool Speke Garston were in front at 4-3. Strong defensive work curbed a Deva attack which could not find a way through the home team’s defence, the score at half time 13-6 to Liverpool Speke Garston.

Regrouping at half time, Deva came out fighting and matched the home side goal for goal during the second period and gradually chipped away at the goal difference once again with both defences strong.

With ten minutes to go both teams incurred a series of time suspensions that disrupted both teams, particularly Liverpool Speke Garston, who went down to four men on court. Deva capitalised and closed the deficit to three goals. But in the end the damage done in the first half was too much for Deva and the home side ran out winners at 31-28. It was a well deserved first victory of the season for the Liverpool Speke Garston team.

Elsewhere in the northern section, Nottingham and Manchester drew 18-18, while University of Manchester beat Leeds Hornets 29-25.

English Teams Prepare for Europe

LONDON GD Handball Club get their European Challenge Cup campaign under way with a clash against English rivals Ruislip Eagles on Friday (Sept 30) at the Tal-Qroqq University Sports Hall in Malta.

The first of three games in three days, the opening clash for the team – formerly known as Great Dane - begins at 7.30pm (local time).

They take on Maltese outfit Aloysians ProMinent in their second match the following day at 6pm, while their final clash is on October 2 against Dublin International HC at 5pm.

"We are going to this year's Challenge Cup with a desire to win all our games and make British history by being the first English club to reach the next round of a European Cup Competition,” said London GD's coach Philippe Seray, confident about their chances.

“We have been training hard over the summer and the players are fully committed to the club, arranging their day-to-day work schedule to attend as many trainings and friendly games as possible. Our new players are integrating very well, and I am confident that we have a real chance of winning our group.”

Meanwhile, after their opening clash with London GD on Friday, Ruislip Eagles will take on Dublin International on Saturday at 3.30pm, and will then complete their campaign with a clash against Aloysians ProMinent at 2.30pm.

And in the women’s competition, Olympic HC from London will play Croatian side RK Zelina at 9pm (local time) on Friday in the opening match of their group, which is being held in Portugal at the Pavilhao Municipal de Oliveira do Bairro.

They will then take on Portugese team Alavarium at 5.30pm on Saturday, followed by a final match against Panetolikos of Greece on Sunday.

Good luck to all the English teams competing in Europe this weekend!

Cup Finals Mark End to Great English Season

REIGNING champions Great Dane successfully secured the League and Cup double at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre on Saturday – but they had to do it the hard way, battling past a determined Ruislip Eagles side to take the EHA Cup prize.

Seven goals from Kris Olschgloeger (pictured) and six from Philips Altong helped Great Dane secure victory in the Cup to add to their league title.

The overall top scorer in the match was Ruislip’s Alex Rabinin with ten goals, but it was not enough to deny their London rivals victory.

But it was not all disappointment for Ruislip Eagles.

Earlier in the day their women’s team – who secured the league title last week – ensured they have gone through the whole season unbeaten when they beat Olympia 32-22 in the women’s EHA Cup final.

Seven goals each from Zsuzi Telek and Dani Sposi – who went on to play for Great Britain in their Finland clash later in the day – underpinned that victory.

And in the Under-18 Boys EHA Cup final, Olympia Cannock won 24-20 against North East Manchester Hawks, with Przemick Bednarczyk scoring eight and Ryan Goodwin six. For the Hawks, Sam Bedlow netted seven times, but it was not enough for victory.

The day’s opening match was the Under-18 Girls EHA Cup final, and North East Manchester Hawks won 11-8 against Warrington Wolves, with Ellis Whitehead scoring four.

Beth Wilbraham scored five for the Wolves, but with just three other goals coming from her team-mates it was not enough for the win.

England's Finest Prepare for Finals

THE best handball teams from across England come to Crystal Palace National Sports Centre on Saturday for a day of four EHA Cup finals.

Warrington Wolves take on the North East Manchester Hawks in the EHA Girls Cup final at 12noon, and that is followed by the Boys final at 1pm, featuring North East Manchester Hawks and Olympia Cannock.

Unbeaten all season in the league, Ruislip Eagles take on Olympia in the EHA Women’s Cup final at 2pm, followed by the Men’s final at 4pm which sees league champions Great Dane and runners-up Ruislip Eagles.

With the league title already in the bag, there has been little time for Great Dane to celebrate as they prepare for the EHA Cup final.

“We can’t rest yet,” said Great Dane captain Jordi Ferrer-Torras. “We’ll be ready and fighting for the final of the cup.”

Likewise, the captain of league runners-up and cup holders Ruislip, Marc Fayemi, was raring to go for the final despite conceding the league title.

“We’ve beaten Great Dane twice this season already and we’ll have to show them our quality in the cup final. We’ll be ready for them.”

It looks set to be a busy day for GB Team Manager Mel Chowns, who is also head coach for Ruislip Eagles Women and will be eager to see her domestic team complete the league and cup double, while also ensuring that Great Britain go through to the next stage of Euro 2012 for victory over Finland.

EHA Cup: Battle Lines Drawn

WITH the league title in the bag, there will be little time for Great Dane to celebrate as they prepare for the EHA Cup final against rivals Ruislip this Saturday at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.

“We can’t rest yet,” said Great Dane captain Jordi Ferrer-Torras. “We’ll be ready and fighting for the final of the cup.”

Likewise, the captain of league runners-up and cup holders Ruislip, Marc Fayemi, was raring to go for the final despite conceding the league title.

“We’ve beaten Great Dane twice this season already and we’ll have to show them our quality in the cup final. We’ll be ready for them.”

Ruislip Women Wrap up League

RUISLIP Eagles women finished off the league season in fine style with a convincing 42-15 victory over Deva on Saturday.

Just two weeks earlier, the young Deva squad had scored 30 goals against the champions in their cup defeat, but it was a very determined and strengthened Ruislip squad that faced the northern side last weekend.

The Eagles were keen to use the match to prepare well for this Saturday’s cup final, after the challenging cup semi-final against Great Dane. And they got off to a flier, racing to a significant lead after 15 minutes in a reverse of what had happened in the earlier match between the two sides.

Deva attempted to break up Ruislip’s flow and neutralise the threat of Telek and Sposi by marking them out but the tactic only left too much room for wingers Bjarnadóttir and Volgyi and line player Chebanova to come into the back court and fire in impressively from nine metres.

Deva coach Donna Hankinson changed tactics and contained Ruislip for a short while, but the champions had too much experience and power and piled on the pressure in the second half with more fast breaks and some good set plays.

Ruislip now look to win back the English Cup and remain the only club in England to go unbeaten all season. Ruislip’s top scorers were: Bjarnadóttir and Sposi with 10 each and Telek with 8.

Title Hopes Dashed for Ruislip

A PASSIONATE Ruislip Eagles performance got the final day of the season off to a flier when they hammered Nottingham University 46-16 - but it was to end in disappointment with rivals Great Dane pipping them to the Men’s title.

Ruislip went into their final game of the season 13 goals behind leaders Great Dane. And knowing that goal difference could be key in the title run in, Ruislip came out of the blocks firing on all cylinders and raced into a four-goal lead within four minutes.

But Nottingham played hard and refused to roll over and scored some good goals, but Ruislip were still ahead 21-11 at half time.

However, their lack of substitutes began to tell after the break and Nottingham’s hopes drifted away.

Ruislip continued to dominate and with every goal that went in increasing their chances of snatching the title, they were met with increasingly rapturous cheers. When the final whistle blew with the score at 46-16 a number of the team collapsed joyously on the floor.

However with all still riding on the final game between Great Dane and Salford the initial wild celebrations were slowly reined in to await the outcome of that game.