Conversano — Cassano Magnago: 26:25, Serie A

Conversano held on to beat Kossano-Magnago 26-25 in a tight Serie A handball match on Tuesday evening. The result was not what many expected, including those of us who backed the visitors at 53 per cent confidence. And here's the thing — the away side had looked sharp in their last three outings, but this was a different game.

Kossano-Magnago arrived in eighth place on four points, having drawn twice and won once in their opening four rounds. Conversano sat third with six points from three victories and a single stalemate. To be fair, the gap between them on the table suggested an away win was the likelier outcome.

The match itself was decided by moments rather than dominance. Conversano's home advantage showed in the final exchanges, when the visitors, who had won three of their last four, could not find a second goal. By then the momentum had shifted, and the home crowd sensed it.

Looking at the recent record, Kossano-Magnago had won 37-35 against Bolzano, 35-31 versus Merano and 33-29 over Molteno. Their only loss in that period came 21-25 to Pressano. Conversano's form was less consistent — two defeats, one win and a draw in their previous five.

The result closes the gap between the two sides to two points in the table. Conversano remain unbeaten, while Kossano-Magnago's run of three straight victories comes to an end. And here's the thing — sometimes the form book gets rewritten in a single half-hour spell.