Motherson Mosonmagyarovari took their second win in the EHF European League Women group stage, defeating HC Lokomotiva Zabreb in Croatia by three goals, coming out on top 22:19.

GROUP A
HC Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO) vs Motherson Mosonmagyarovari KC (HUN) 19:22 (11:12)

• Lokomotiva were in front 3:0 and 4:1 early in the match, while Mosonmagyarovari's first lead occurred in the 19th minute, when Eszter Toth made the score 8:7
• both goalkeepers did well in the first half, as Zagreb's Lena Ivancok saved 40 per cent of shots, while the Hungarian team's Zsofi Szemerey had a 35 per cent save efficiency
• Ivancsok finished the game with 18 saves and a 46 per cent save rate, yet her team lost their opening group match
• the scores were level at 15:15 in the 42th minute, but then the visitors enjoyed a 7:0 run, which played a crucial role
• Mosonmagyarovari boast the maximum of four points and top the group, as they had beaten Besancon a week before

Toth shines in attack

While the Hungarian team had scored as many as 38 goals against Besancon, just 22 goals were enough for them to defeat Lokomotiva.

But while this match was low-scoring, Mosonmagyarovari's Esther Toth really stood out with her impact. The experienced left back scored 10 goals, almost a half of her team's tally, and contributed to the victory a lot.

Post-match quotes

Eszter Tóth, Motherson Mosonmagyarovari KC back:

“I really can't remember when I scored 10 goals. It's not happening every day, I'm happy that I helped my team. This was hard game for us, because this style of handball is not common in Hungary. But there was a point where we made a three-goal difference and we broke Lokomotiva. We played a very good defence and helped our goalkeeper and this was a key for this match.”

Janos Gyurka, Motherson Mosonmagyarovari KC coach:

“This game was decided by our defence and our team spirit. In this competition, in EHF European League, we are here for learning as we are really concentrating on the Hungarian championship. Lokomotiva is a compact team, they allowed us 22 goals. The domestic players are following the instructions from their coach and they are playing very fast.”

Nenad Sostaric, Lokomotiva Zagreb coach:

“Motherson is a team that has 11 national players from various countries. These are all top professionals. What makes me happy is that we did a great defence and conceded only 22 goals. They usually constantly score over 30 and even 40 goals. At one point we fell into a black hole because we have no rotation in external positions and this prevented us from achieving a better result. That is our pledge for the future because we showed against the right team that we can play. Especially in a roster like this that has never played together before.”

Lena Ivancok, Lokomotiva Zagreb goalkeeper:

“We started well both in attack and defence, we did well in the beginning. But we didn't have enough strength because we lack a lot of players. We could not hold a high quality as long as the Hungarians. If we were complete, it would have looked different, especially in the second half. I got a chance to start and play the whole game and I had to prove myself. It was in my head all the time and it resulted in these 18 defences. With a good defence of teammates, of course.”