Тиквеш ХК secured a 27:26 victory over Мультти Эссенс in the Superleague on Friday evening. The result keeps the hosts in sixth place while the visitors remain rooted at tenth after six rounds. I had called a home win beforehand with 59 per cent confidence, and by then the game was already shaping up to confirm that call.
There is nothing flashy about a one-goal margin, but the tightness tells you where things stood. To be fair, Мультти Эссенс had pulled off two draws away from home recently, including a 21:21 with Младост 1977, so they were not without bite. Тиквеш ХК, meanwhile, had dropped points at home in their previous outing against Прилеп and needed to respond.
The table does not lie. Тиквеш ХК sit on seven points from six games, three wins and two draws, while Мультти Эссенс have managed only four draws and two losses for just two points. A victory like this does not launch either side into contention, but it does extend Тиквеш ХК's unbeaten run and leaves Мультти Эссенс still searching for their first win.
Recent form suggests Тиквеш ХК were not traveling to make up the numbers. They had lost 30:31 to Алкалоид and 27:35 to РК Вардар 1961, then bounced back with a 28:28 draw and a 33:32 win over Эш. Мультти Эссенс, by contrast, had picked up points in draws with Куманово and Младост 1977 but lost heavily to Еврофарм Пелистер 2 and Алкалоид.
The scoreline reflects a match where neither side pulled away cleanly. Тиквеш ХК saw it out after an even exchange, while Мультти Эссенс refused to go away until the final whistle. One goal decided everything, and that is often how these contests are settled.
