Round one of the 2019 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship for Group C concluded with a clash that must have been closer than expected for the winning side. Hungary were the favourites coming into the game against Bahrain, but after a clear lead at half-time, they faced a tough test and scraped a narrow win that was never safe until the buzzer sounded.

 

GROUP C
Hungary vs Bahrain 34:30 (17:11)

 

Hungary were dominant in the first half but faced an entirely different 30 minutes after the break. Following a six-goal difference in favour of the European side at half-time, Bahrain fought back to a score line of one and stayed close until the last minutes. The distance of one persisted as late as the 55th minute, 29:28, before Hungary increased the gap to finish with a four-goal win.

 

Initially, it looked as though Hungary would live up to their name as favourites with relative ease. At the end of the first quarter, the European team led 9:4, and they pulled away further at half-time to a difference that looked to be an ominous sign for Bahrain. However, the six-goal distance proved far from insurmountable for the Asian team.

 

Bahrain, whose men’s national teams have a history of troubling European opponents who appear stronger on paper, returned from the break with renewed vigour. Led by a 10-goal game from Ahmed Fadhul and seven strikes from Mahmood Mohamed, Bahrain decreased the deficit to come within one, first at 19:18 in the 39th minute, and at 25:24 in the 51st.

 

Hungary remained calm and held their advantage steady, though they could never completely relax as Bahrain refused to give in. With five minutes on the clock, the match could still have gone either way, as Hungary held an edge of just one goal. But the European team’s experience undoubtedly guided them through the final high-pressure minutes to clinch the victory.

 

Hungary’s top scorer was Dominik Mathe, with a tally of nine.

 

Player of the match: Dominik Mathe, Hungary