ZPRP Kalisz women secured a narrow victory over Gniezno II, winning 27:24 in the I League on Friday. The result keeps both sides in the bottom half of the table, though they've played a different number of games this season. Kalisz remain in fifth place having not yet started their campaign, while Gniezno sit ninth after one match without a win.
And here's the thing — we had backed the visitors at 65 per cent confidence. The prediction didn't materialise, and frankly the home side's recent results showed little to suggest they'd suddenly turn a corner. But matches don't always follow the spreadsheets.
Both teams arrived with worrying form. Kalisz had lost four of their last five outings, including heavy defeats to Ruda Śląska and Świebodzice. Gniezno were no better, dropping points in their only league game this season against ZPRP Płock II. To be fair, neither side looked particularly convincing in those fixtures.
The match itself produced a tight contest, with Kalisz holding their nerve in the closing stages. Twenty-seven goals to twenty-four is not a runaway result, and it suggests Gniezno had their moments. By then the visitors had already shown they could compete — they'd just needed to take one of those chances.
What this means for the standings is minimal, at least for now. Kalisz's first league game is yet to come, so fifth place is provisional. Gniezno's single point from a draw keeps them adrift, and they'll need to find consistency quickly if they want to climb away from the bottom.