Start to the playoffs

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Filip Peric and the team from Schwaz want to perform better against Linz.(Bild: Handball Tirol/Kreidl)

The Schwaz handball team had a hard time coping with the bitter defeat against Westwien in the Cup final. But they can also draw a lot of motivation from it: The decisive goal should not have counted, the scorer was in the circle! Linz should feel the effects of this in the first quarter-final match.

Incredulous looks, bewilderment, disappointment! The "flyer goal" to make it 29:28 in the last second by Westwien shattered the Schwaz handball team's dreams of winning their second Cup title last Saturday. But what nobody realized at first: The goal by Westwien's Andreas Dräger should not have counted!

The TV picture proves it: Dräger clearly overstepped when scoring the winning goal.(Bild: Bildschirmfoto ORF, Krone KREATIV)

Irregular goal
Although the winger scored the spectacular goal in time, he was a foot's length (picture) inside the circle when he jumped away. It was only in the days after the game that pictures made the rounds and the ORF television pictures were watched again. Former referee Reinhard Hurich also addressed the "blatantly wrong decision" on his YouTube channel. However, it was too late for an appeal.

Championship title as the goal
The team first had to come to terms with the defeat and then concentrated on their first opponent on the way to the championship title from Wednesday. The first quarter-final game will see Linz visit the Osthalle on Saturday (20:20, live on Krone TV). "Now the most important phase of the season begins. We have something to make up for after the Cup final. Then we'll just win the thing," says national team player Michael Miskovez with extra motivation: "The only chance we have to get revenge on second-division side Westwien is the Super Cup - and for that we have to become champions!"

Handball playoff

Quarter-finals

Saturday: Sparkasse Schwaz HT - Linz (20.20 Osthalle, live on Krone TV)

After a very good season so far, Schwaz are laying claim to the title. "We've shown often enough that we're good enough. We should set our sights high," said "Mischa".