CS Minaur Baia Mare — CSM Timișoara: 32:30, Liga Nationala

Minaur Baia Mare saw off CSM Timișoara 32:30 in the National League on Wednesday evening. The hosts ended their recent run of mixed results with a narrow win over the visitors who had been flying high in the table. It was a match decided by fine margins, and by then you could sense how much both sides wanted it. Minaur came out ahead despite sitting seventh before kickoff, while CSM arrived in second place having won three of their four outings. The scoreline tells you this was anyone's game until the final whistle. To be fair, neither side pulled away for long stretches — it stayed close throughout. The home side's recent form had been uneven. They'd lost 29-27 to Bucharest on their last outing, drawn 25-25 with Potaisa Turda, and before that secured a 38-26 victory over Teutoni Gymsav. CSM, meanwhile, had picked up a 27-26 win against Dinamo Bucharest and earlier hammered Bucharest 40-36. Both teams knew what was at stake here. By the end, Minaur's five points from four games put them level on points with CSM's seven, though the visitors held the superior position on goal difference and wins. The result means the gap between seventh and second narrows considerably. In these games, the table goes out of the window. What stood out wasn't the numbers but the character shown in the closing stages. Minaur didn't let CSM's reputation for attacking handball dictate the tempo. They held their nerve, and that's what separates a win from a draw at this level.