Lekbek secured their opening victory of the Division 1 campaign with a 32-25 victory over Apollon on Saturday evening. The hosts ended a barren spell after two consecutive draws, finally translating their home advantage into three points. It was a result that changed things, even if only slightly, in a table that remains wide open this early in the season.
Apollon arrived in decent form, sitting sixth with two points from two games — one win and one draw. Their recent record included a narrow 34-33 victory over Krajnem and a 33-47 loss to Bocholt, but this time they had nothing to do all evening. Lekbek, meanwhile, had been drawing their way through the opening rounds before finally breaking through.
We had backed the hosts at 52 per cent confidence before kick-off, and the prediction came good. The home side looked sharper in the final third, converting chances that Apollon simply could not match. It was not a dominant display, but it was enough to end the winless run and give Lekbek something to build on.
The visitors had won once and drawn once in their previous two outings, beating Kraynem 34-33 before falling to Bocholt. Against Lekbek they were reduced to watching from behind, unable to find the consistency they had shown earlier in the campaign. The home side had nothing to do all evening, controlling the tempo and limiting Apollon's opportunities.
Lekbek's previous results before this win were a 24-38 loss to Montagne and a 25-26 defeat to Sasha, both ending in draws after those results. Apollon's form had been more encouraging, with their win over Kraynem suggesting they could compete at this level. This time, however, the home side showed they had something to say.
The result leaves Lekbek with their first win and Apollon with their first loss of the season. The table is still fluid, with both sides having played just two matches. What matters now is whether Lekbek can use this momentum or if Apollon will bounce back with a stronger showing next time.