HC ALKALOID – MHC KUMANOVO 40-25 (23-11)
Venue: Avtokomanda in Skopje. Referees: Silvana Karbeska and Marija Ilieva. Delegate: Zoran Kimovski

HC ALKALOID: Galevski, Trajkoski, Djonov, Mladenovikj 5, Serafimov, Karasmanakis 2, Stojkovikj 2, Mitev, Simonoski 5, Bingo 3, Francisco 8, Petkovski 9, Savrevski 6
Seven-meter throws: 2/3 Suspensions: 8 min

MHC KUMANOVO: Dimitrijevski, Dimevski 4, Vinisius 6, Dimitrov 3, Vujichevski, Cvetkovski, Jakimovski 1, Stojanovski, Cekovski 1, Krstanoski, Gamzardija 1, Simonoski 8, Mihajlovski
Seven-meter throws: 1/1 Suspensions: 4 min

HC Alkaloid claimed their tenth straight victory in the Super League tonight, defeating the team from Kumanovo at home and extending their streak of scoring over 30 goals in every match, a run that now spans 13 games since the season’s start.

With a slightly altered lineup, resting several players, the team saw strong individual performances from Francisco Silva, Aleksandar Petkovski, David Savrevski, Kristijan Simonoski, and Mihajlo Mladenovikj.

These players were instrumental in leading the team from a 4-1 advantage to an 11-3 lead, which then expanded to 14-6, 17-7, and a 23-11 halftime score.

The second half was more balanced, but Alkaloid maintained a double-digit lead, finishing with a 15-goal margin.

The team now heads into a short break for the national team’s

HC PROLET 62 – HC ALKALOID 26-39 (15-20)
Venue: Macedonsko Sonce in Skopje. Referees: Viktor Andonov and Stojanche Jovanovski. Delegate: Aco Nikolovski

HC PROLET 62: Trajkov, Totic 1, Gligorov 1, Dimkovski, Dodevski, Daskalovski, Shilegov 1, Andonovski 5, Bakar 4, Majnov 2, Stojanovski 7, Stojchevikj, Mladenovski, Jachev, Palevski 4, Spasovski 1
Seven-meter throws: 2/3 Suspensions: 10 min

HC ALKALOID: Kizikj 1, Trajkoski, Djonov 4, Markoski, Mladenovikj 1, Serafimov 6, Karasmanakis 2, Stojkovikj 1, Mitev 5, Velkovski 1, Simonoski 4, Bingo 5, Francisco 3, Petkovski 3, Savrevski 3
Seven-meter throws: 1/3 Suspensions: 4 min

Tonight, HC Alkaloid secured their ninth consecutive Super League victory this season, beating HC Prolet 62 away (39-26). This marks their 12th straight win in all official matches since the start of the season, scoring over 30 goals in each game.

HC Alkaloid entered the match as favorites and didn’t disappoint. Although HC Prolet 62 displayed fighting spirit, they couldn’t keep up with the tempo set by HC Alkaloid, remaining competitive only in the first ten minutes.

HC Alkaloid first took a comfortable lead after the tenth minute, pulling ahead 9-5. The home team briefly fought back to 8-11, but HC Alkaloid responded with another scoring run, extending the lead to 15-8. The remainder of the half saw balanced play, with HC Alkaloid heading into the break at 20-15.

The second half saw complete domination from HC Alkaloid, especially in the latter part. The lead, which hovered around five to six goals early in the half, grew as Alkaloid’s playstyle took effect, pushing the margin to ten goals at 35-25 before finishing with a 13-goal difference.

Martin Serafimov with six goals, and Marko Mitev and Arnaud Bingo with five scores each, were HC Alkaloid’s top scorers in this match.

Next up, HC Alkaloid will face MHC Kumanovo at home in the Avtokomanda arena on Friday, November 1, 2024.

HC Alkaloid achieved their objective, progressing to the third round of the EHF European Cup. Coach Kiril Lazarov and pivot Valentin Karasmanakis shared their thoughts after the away win (37-31) in Lithuania.

KIRIL LAZAROV: “It’s never easy to beat any opponent on their home court, especially in a European Cup match. We secured the victory in style; by the 22nd minute, we were up by nine goals. Then we eased up a bit, and struggled throughout the game. However, all of this is new for our players, and I understand—we need to learn from our mistakes. We defeated a quality team that runs hard for all 60 minutes; it’s not easy to prepare for that. This may be just the first European round, but I’m proud of what we achieved, especially given the demanding three-game week we’ve had.

Analyzing the opponent, our first match was more challenging. I could tell they were a quality team with a clear vision. The Spanish system brought structure over the past four or five months, and although some found it amusing when I mentioned caution, it proved necessary. We entered the game with discipline and managed to build a comfortable lead in Skopje, which let us rest a bit easier. We aimed to win the rematch as well, and it was easier for us to play here because we knew what to expect.

Now we move on to the third-round draw. We have our preferences, which would increase our chances, but regardless of who we draw, we won’t put any undue pressure on ourselves. Our focus is on progressing and keeping our system effective. We’re not going onto the court with a white flag, regardless of the opponent’s name or strength.”

VALENTIN KARASMANAKIS: “We played a tough match. We had our advantage from the first game, but we knew our opponent would give their all, especially with their home crowd behind them. We managed to get the job done and advance to the next phase. There were errors in this match, but I know we’ll correct them in the games to come. This match in Lithuania was tougher for us than the one in Skopje.”

HC DRAGUNAS KLAIPEDA – HC ALKALOID 31-37 (17-21)

Arena: SBV in Klaipeda, Lithuania. Referees: Alice Watson and Line Welin from Sweden. Delegate: Ventsil Kalev from Estonia

HC ALKALOID: Kizikj (3 saves), Galevski 1 (9 saves + 1 penalty), Petrov, Markoski, Mladenovikj 1, Serafimov 7, Karasmanakis, Stojkovikj 3, Mitev 6, Gjorgiev 3, Velkovski 1, Simonovski, Bingo 6, Silva 3, Petkovski 6, Savrevski

Seven-meter throws: 4/7 Suspensions: 8 minutes

HC Alkaloid achieved their objective, advancing to the third round of the EHF European Cup with a second win over HC Dragunas Klaipeda (37-31). From start to finish, our team commanded the game, claiming another victory in this two-leg series against Lithuania’s Dragunas and securing a place in the next stage.

Our team opened the match strong, with Bingo, Mitev, and Stojkovikj leading the charge, Alkaloid took a quick 6-2 lead just seven minutes in, soon extended by two more goals from Petkovski to reach an 8-2 advantage, prompting a timeout from the hosts. Goalkeeper Ivan Galevski was instrumental in this run, notching four crucial saves. As expected, the game then intensified, with the match picking up a rhythm similar to that seen in Avtokomanda, with thrilling moments of high-paced play and scores. After 15 minutes, Alkaloid held a 15-8 lead, at times stretching it to nine goals. Following a few errors on both sides, Alkaloid closed the first half 21-17.

In the second half, Dragunas Klaipeda’s goalkeeper stepped up, helping the home team to chip away at Alkaloid’s lead. Ten minutes in, Dragunas cut the gap to just two goals (25-27) during an offensive dry spell for Alkaloid. The offense clicked right when it was needed most, as HC Alkaloid scored three consecutive goals, pushing the lead to 25-30 and regaining a comfortable cushion. Our players kept their composure until the end, leaving no room for nerves and giving the opponent no chance for a comeback.

Today in the Lithuanian city of Klaipeda, HC Alkaloid will try to reach its first European victory on away field. In the first meeting in Skopje, HC Alkaloid celebrated a convincing victory by 11 goals (42-31), but the goal is not only to defend the difference and secure a place in the next round, but to get another victory over the fast team of Klaipeda Dragunas.

The team has been in Lithuania since yesterday, did a training session in the gym where the match will be played and got to know the atmosphere in the home of the Lithuanian „dragons”. The coaching staff and the handball players are optimistic about the outcome of the return match, despite the fact that they had a busy week in which they already played two matches, and now they are once again waiting for a competition with the Lithuanian team in their hall. The match starts at 15:00.

KIRIL LAZAROV, COACH OF HC ALKALOID:

I expect a tough match because in six days we will play three matches and not just any matches, but two matches from the European Cup and a derby match with Eurofarm Pelister, and we have a long journey. I know it won’t be easy. We have a handicap with the injury of Nikola Kosteski, we should mention that. I’m careful, because the audience in Avtokomanda saw that we have as our opponent a team that wants to play, that wants to compete for the whole match. We analyzed and saw that in the 48th minute there was only a six difference, and in the 54th minute it was a 13 difference. It could have been different, maybe the result is a little unrealistic.

We have a large stock, but that should not make us relax, we will go for victory, that is our goal. It will be very uncertain until the end, we want victory, but we will have to earn it. We will have to sweat hard to win, and it will not be easy, because, as I said, we play a third strong game in six days, and we also had a long trip. The boys are ready, but they are also exhausted, because they played two great games and are a little emotionally worn out after the joy they had after the two meetings. They will need to run a lot, we are aware of that in the coaching staff and we will do everything to look good and win in the end.

IVAN GALEVSKI, GOALKEEPER OF HC ALKALOID:

An 11-goal first-leg win is big, but it doesn’t necessarily mean anything about who wins the second leg. Dragunas is a quality team that runs for 60 minutes and they will surely be extra motivated after the heavy defeat in Skopje. That is why we will be maximally focused, motivated and concentrated. We will not defend a difference, but we will go for victory, as always in this match.