diff --git a/server/src/ingest/scheduler.ts b/server/src/ingest/scheduler.ts
index 1ab8d7c..1823910 100644
--- a/server/src/ingest/scheduler.ts
+++ b/server/src/ingest/scheduler.ts
@@ -117,11 +117,16 @@ export function startScheduler(
   // look 'scheduled' (fresh DB, or results lost before persistence existed)
   // gets its date-scoped ESPN scoreboard re-fetched and merged.
   const resultsBackfill = async (): Promise<void> => {
-    const today = dateUTC(new Date().toISOString());
+    const now = Date.now();
     const dates = new Set<string>();
     for (const f of state.allFixtures()) {
-      const d = dateUTC(f.kickoff);
-      if (d < today && f.status === 'scheduled' && f.home.team && f.away.team) dates.add(d);
+      const k = new Date(f.kickoff).getTime();
+      // a started-but-forgotten fixture: kickoff is past, state still 'scheduled'
+      if (k > now - 2 * 60 * 60 * 1000 || f.status !== 'scheduled' || !f.home.team || !f.away.team) continue;
+      // ESPN's ?dates= is US-Eastern-based: a late-UTC kickoff files under the
+      // previous calendar day there — fetch both candidates
+      dates.add(dateUTC(f.kickoff));
+      dates.add(dateUTC(new Date(k - 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000).toISOString()));
     }
     for (const date of dates) {
       if (stopped) return;