Pelister mount outstanding comeback to save a point against Kadetten

Swiss champions Kadetten Schaffhausen failed to secure their first win in the group phase of this season’s EHF European League Men after HC Eurofarm Pelister erased a five-goal deficit in the second half to snatch a point with a 28:28 draw.

The home side were unable to repeat their 29:26 win from their clash with the Macedonian side last season.

GROUP D

Kadetten Schaffhausen (SUI) vs HC Eurofarm Pelister (MKD) 28:28 (16:11)

• Four goals from Swiss left back Luka Maros saw Kadetten jump to an early 6:1 lead and were never behind for the whole 60 minutes
• Maros and left wing Samuel Zehnder combined for 15 goals, 53.5% of Kadetten’s strikes
• Pelister orchestrated a comeback in the second half, equalising in the last second of the game
• Bosnian centre back Josip Peric scored the crucial goal just before the final whistle
• Eurofarm Pelister have just one away win in European competitions since November 2016, when they beat Grundfos Tatabanya KC, 24:21, in February 2021, in the group phase of last season’s EHF European League men

How did Pelister shock Kadetten?

HC Eurofarm Pelister needed eight minutes and 22 seconds to score their first goal of the game and by that time, Kadetten were already up 5:1. Many would have conceded the loss, but the North Macedonian side remembered they finished fourth in the group phase last season, with 11 points and started to mount a serious comeback.

Despite being down by seven goals in the 35th minute, the visitors bounced back, led by Josip Peric and Nikola Markoski who combined for seven goals in the second half. This helped Pelister improve their shooting efficiency to 62% to secure a draw – the first point of the season for both teams.