On Wednesday evening, the women’s handball team played one of the season’s most anticipated matches as Győri Audi ETO KC visited Elek Gyula Arena. The autumn fixture had left a painful memory, but our team has visibly improved since then. We hoped this progress would show on the court, though it was clear that a peak performance would be needed to succeed against ETO. The return of Gréta Márton and Vilde Ingstad, alongside Dragana Cvijic, strengthened the squad, and the support from the stands provided an ideal boost for the team.

And the start was nothing short of brilliant!

Júlia Hársfalvi, Petra Simon (twice), and Katrin Klujber scored without reply from Győr, giving us a 4–0 lead after just four minutes — and the arena erupted. Győr responded with three goals, but our defence was rock solid, helping us maintain the advantage. The atmosphere was electric, and the determination and focus of our players were a joy to watch. After the score was stuck at 6–4, Darja Dmitrijeva’s goal broke the deadlock. Our playmaker continued her strong form from the spring and provided the attacking spark that saw us go into the half leading 14–11. That scoreline perfectly reflected the intensity on the court: every clash was contested, and fast breaks rarely resulted in easy goals, as both teams focused on organized transitions.

After the break, maintaining the lead was crucial, and Mette Tranborg stepped up at exactly the right moment. She scored twice, and by the 36th minute we had a four-goal cushion at 18–14. The team showed signs of fatigue, and Emily Vogel left the court early in the second half. Heart often drove the legs, while coach Jesper Jensen kept the players composed, knowing clear thinking was just as important as effort.

The guests eventually took control. The accumulated strain from recent weeks’ injuries seemed to catch up with us — first ETO equalised, then led 21–20 for the first time in the match. We fought back with goals from Klujber and Márton, but three quick Győr goals left us two down. Every player gave their all; the commitment and attitude were exemplary, yet an extra push was needed to clinch the win. Following a crucial save by Blanka Böde-Bíró, we had a chance to equalise, but Dmitrijeva’s shot was blocked, and Győr quickly scored again (25–27).

We never gave up. With the fans behind us, the final minute offered one last opportunity. After intense defence, Győr scored off a passive play, leaving twenty seconds on the clock. Klujber won a penalty, which Dmitrijeva calmly converted after the buzzer to level the score.

The win eluded us, but we extended our more than six-year unbeaten streak in home league matches, and we can build on this performance as we approach the remainder of the season.