Serviti Hold Their Nerve to Defeat TENAX Dobele 28–26

February 21, 2026

Põlva Serviti continued their strong run in the Baltic Handball League with a hard-fought 28:26 (15:11) away victory over ZRHK TENAX Dobele, surviving a dramatic second-half comeback attempt by the home side.

TENAX Dobele started the match confidently and took an early 3:0 lead, powered by Nils Kreicbergs and Ņikita Pančenko. However, Põlva Serviti responded with an impressive spell midway through the first half, turning the game around with a 0:7 run that gave the visitors full control. Goals from Kermo Saksing, Stanislav Kholodiuk, and Jurgen Rooba helped Serviti build a solid cushion, and despite TENAX fighting back late in the half, Serviti went into the break ahead 15:11.

The second half developed into a tense and physical battle. TENAX Dobele steadily closed the gap, led by an outstanding individual performance from Ņikita Pančenko, who repeatedly punished the Serviti defense from open play and the seven-meter line. Between the 36th and 40th minutes, TENAX reduced the deficit to just two goals, igniting the home crowd and forcing Serviti to call a timeout to regain composure.

The closing ten minutes delivered pure drama. TENAX Dobele equalized the score at 25:25 in the 52nd minute after goals from Kreicbergs and Suharevs, but crucial missed chances — including a missed seven-meter throw — prevented the hosts from taking the lead. Serviti capitalized on those moments, as Mathias Rebane converted a decisive penalty and Hendrik Varul scored twice in the final minutes to seal the victory.

Despite a last-second goal from TENAX, Põlva Serviti held on to secure another win over their Latvian rivals, having also defeated TENAX earlier in the season.

Top Performers

For ZRHK TENAX Dobele, Ņikita Pančenko delivered an exceptional performance, scoring 9 goals from 12 shots, while Nils Kreicbergs added 4 goals and played a key role in TENAX’s late comeback attempt.

For Põlva Serviti, Hendrik Varul led the scoring with 6 goals, including crucial strikes in the closing minutes. Alfred Timmo contributed 5 goals, while Mathias Rebane was composed from the penalty line, finishing with 4 goals, two of them from seven meters.

With this result, Põlva Serviti strengthen their position in the Baltic Handball League standings, while ZRHK TENAX Dobele are left to reflect on missed opportunities in a match that could have gone either way.

Final Score:
ZRHK TENAX Dobele 26 – 28 Põlva Serviti
Half-time: 11 – 15