Vardar beat Tatran Presov in the SEHA handball league 28:26 in Skopje yesterday, and clinched the first place in the A group.

The defending European champion played without several of its top players, and was down five goals at half-time. But Vardar rallied early in the second half, scoring a streak of 10 goals to Tatran’s two and grabbing the lead which it then held on to until the end. Ivan Cupic, Pavel Atman and Daniil Shishkarev scored five goals each for Vardar.

Vardar has 21 points ahead of Motor Zaporozhye with 18 points, and with one game to go has secured the first place in Group A.