See the pictures: Mors-Thy is ready for the playoffs after Tilsted’s goal show

Mors-Thy Handball secured a place at the table on Tuesday evening when the Danish handball season culminates in a playoff in a month’s time.

Although the pursuers have four games left, it is now not possible for them to push Mors-Thy out of the top eight.

Tuesday’s 34-30 victory over Ribe-Esbjerg came on the back of a very strong first half, and even though a big lead was regarding to be destroyed in the second half, the jubilation might finally break out in Thyhallen.

Mors-Thy Handball – Ribe-Esbjerg 34-30

Men’s Handball League
Positions along the way: 2-1, 8-2, 9-4, 15-7, 18-11 (break position), 21-13, 23-17, 27-21, 28-25, 30-27
Goals, Mors-Thy Handball: Frederik Tilsted 14, Mads Svane 6, Henrik Tilsted 4, Nicolaj Spanggaard 3, Kasper Didriksen 2, Lasse Pedersen 1, Henrik Toft Hansen 1, Victor Norlyk 1, Magnus Norlyk 1, Svend Rughave 1
Top scorer, Ribe-Esbjerg: Andreas Søgaard 7
Expulsions: Mors-Thy Handball 3, Ribe-Esbjerg 4

With three of Mors-Thy’s first four goals, Nicolaj Spanggaard immediately showed himself well in front of his future employer, and it helped give the home team a dream start.

The defense with goalkeeper Svend Rughave behind them was strong, while Ribe-Esbjerg, on the other hand, delivered a display of technical errors and bad finishes.

For more than eight minutes, the visitors from West Jutland were kept from scoring, and Mors-Thy took advantage of that to establish a lead of 9-2.

It was completely symbolic when Ribe-Esbjerg’s Simon Birkefeldt wiggled his foot five minutes before the end of the first half in an attempt to catch a pass. The ball went over the sideline, so Frederik Tilsted might run counter and score to 15-7, while the unfortunate Ribe-Esbjerg player had to be helped in the changing room.

Mors-Thy also put themselves ahead with 18-9, before Ribe-Esbjerg, with the last two scores of the first half, might still go to the changing room with little faith in life.

Led by a well-played Frederik Tilsted, Mors-Thy quickly increased the lead to nine goals once more, but then more and more errors crept into Mors-Thy’s attacking game.

It was punished by Ribe-Esbjerg, who nine minutes into the second half had suddenly reduced the distance to five goals.

Whether it was the prospect of a play-off place that played tricks on the Mors-Thy camp remains to be seen, but the fact is that a short-lived upswing was quickly replaced by several errors, so that the home team’s lead with nine minutes remaining was all but gone on three goals.

Two and a half minutes before time, the visitors further reduced the score to 31-29, but then Mads Svane Knudsen scored twice and definitively secured Mors-Thy’s place in the playoffs.