Kauguri keep noses in front

Latvia's FK Kauguri and FC Camelot Chisinau of Moldova are set for a final-day showdown in the race to reach the UEFA Futsal Cup Main round, while the Republic of Ireland's first-ever representatives, Shamrock Rovers FC, were unfortunate to lose on their debut.

Kauguri ahead
In Preliminary round Group C, mini-tournament hosts Kauguri and Camelot had both begun with victories on Saturday and followed that up with another maximum haul today. Camelot produced a 9-3 victory against Germany’s FV Eppelborn with Oleksandr Kerik scoring a hat-trick while Kauguri saw off inaugural Estonian entrants FC Anzhi Tallinn 9-1. That margin of victory means that Kauguri will need only draw with Camelot to pip them to the one available place in September's Main round Group 3 in Azerbaijan against Araz Naxçivan, Slov-Matic Fofo Bratislava and Italy's Luparense Calcio A5.

Rovers pipped
The second pool to begin, Group D, kicked off in Austria and it was a good start for hosts Stella Rossa Vienna as they defeated Scottish champions Fair City Santos 6-1. But it was a closer affair in the other match as Shamrock Rovers were pipped 3-2 by Armenia's FC Politekhnik Yerevan. Fixtures continue in Vienna's Hollgasse Hall today when Politekhnik play Santos and Stella Rossa meet Shamrock Rovers. Group A starts in Israel as Dutch champions FCK De Hommel play Switzerland's Uni Futsal Team Bulle and hosts Hapoel Ironi Rishon Lezion face Lithuania's FK Nafta Mazeikiai.