Fredrikstad women secured a 29-24 victory over Utlerå in a club friendly on Thursday in Norway. The result gives the hosts a result to build on ahead of the new season.
By then the match had settled into a rhythm neither side could quite control. To be fair, both teams threw themselves into the contest from the opening whistle. It wasn't a tactical masterclass, but it was honest work.
The hosts came into this having struggled of late. They lost two consecutive games against Storhamar, drawing with Molde HK and losing to Larvik in the weeks before. A win like this will feel like a relief.
Utlerå, meanwhile, will be disappointed to have fallen short. They pushed hard enough to keep things close, but could not find the breakthrough needed to take something from the game.
And here's the thing about friendlies — they don't always tell you everything. You watch the effort, not just the scoreboard. Fredrikstad showed they can still compete when it matters.