Volleyball: Poland beat Iran in cliffhanger

The Polish team celebrates after winning the tie-break against Iran in Lodz, 13 SeptemberPhoto: PAP/Grzegorz Michalowski

A more decisive victory would have put Poland straight through to the next round, but it was not to be, despite having two match points in the third set.

Saturday night's fixture got off to an ideal start for Poland, with the hosts winning the first two sets 25-17, 25-16 in Lodz.

But things started to unravel at the key moment.

Poland could already smell victory, leading 16-13 in the third set, but the Iranians were not going to hand the match to the hosts on a plate.

The guests fought back to take a 20-19 lead, and to make matters worse, Polish captain Michal Winiarski had to leave the court with an injured back.

Poland still managed to bounce back to 24-22, but then lost two match points, and Iran took the game 26-24.

The next set saw Poland in all kinds of trouble, with Iran notching up a comfortable 25-19 win.

The tie-break had the whole arena on the edge of their seats, and thankfully, the Poles kept their nerve, winning 16-14.

However, the result means that for Poland to qualify, Iran must not only beat Serbia on Sunday, but Poland must also take at least one point against France. Even a 2-3 loss to France would be enough. (nh)

Exhausted members of the Iranian team, after coming so close to turning the tables. Photo: PAP/Grzegorz Michalowski