Kolstad claimed a narrow 36-35 victory over Nærbø in the NM Cup on Wednesday evening, the 23rd of September. The away side survived a spirited home display to advance deeper into the competition. It was a match decided by the smallest of margins, as is often the case when two sides are evenly matched.
Nærbø's recent form had suggested a tough task ahead. They had lost 36-34 to Sandefjord TIF on the 20th and suffered a heavier 31-23 defeat to Runnarr five days before that. Yet they came out fighting, matching Kolstad shot for shot throughout the contest. To be fair, the hosts had won three of their previous five, including a comfortable 31-25 over Kristiansand.
Kolstad arrived with mixed fortunes of their own. A 36-29 loss to Kielce on the 16th would have done little to boost confidence, and they had also fallen 37-22 to Magdeburg earlier in the month. But they had bounced back with wins against Bergen and Runnarr in between. And here's the thing — their away record in this cup run would prove decisive.
Our prediction had favoured the visitors at 66 per cent confidence, and Kolstad delivered when it mattered. The final scoreline of 36-35 tells the story of a game that could have gone either way. Nærbø pushed hard but could not find that extra gear in the closing stages. By then, Kolstad had built just enough of a cushion to survive the home side's late pressure.
The result means Kolstad move forward in the NM Cup while Nærbø's campaign comes to an end. It was a fitting end to a competitive fixture, decided by a single goal. The away side showed enough composure to see out the remaining minutes without conceding a late equaliser.
