The Slovak 3. Liga (Third Division) - East Group will resume on Sunday, 23 May 2021

After more than seven months of break to the COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia, the Slovak 3. Liga (Third Division) will resume this week-end. In the East Group, four matches are scheduled for Sunday, 23 May, at 5 pm local time, counting for round 11 of the 2020-2021 season, which were supposed to be played on 4 October 2020 but were postponed due to the pandemic.

In the next week-end, on the 29th and 30th of May 2021, all teams will be involved in matches of round 13. This round was supposed to be played in 19 and 20 October 2020, but all sporting activities in Slovakia were prohibited (with few exceptions) since the 15th of October.

Three matches of round 12 are scheduled mid-week, on the 2nd of June. This round was initially scheduled on 10 and 11 October 2020, but only five matches were played as scheduled. It was the last round before the seizure of all sporting activities.

Matches in round 14 will be played on 6 June, while those of round 15 on 13 June 2021. These are the last rounds to be played this season, which will end after just 15 rounds, actually half of those which were supposed to be played.

This situation is likely to generate some very unexpected results, as the battle for the first place (promotion) and to avoid relegation will be extremely harsh, involving only three to five games. FK Humenné are comfortable leaders for the moment, but their advance might decrease to just one point if 1. FC Tatran Prešov win both their postponed matches. Odeva Lipany might also become involved, and their match against 1. FC Tatran Prešov may prove decisive for either team.

In the relegation area, at least seven teams are involved in the struggle to avoid the last two (and possible more) places. The remaining three or four matches will be decisive for all of them. It is difficult to imagine what would happen after such a long break. The situation might be worsened by the fact that the number of relegated teams is not exactly known, given that two teams (instead of one) might be relegated from the Second Division in this group, and this may increase the number of relegated teams to three.

After a long period without a single game, sometimes without proper training, teams will face a difficult period, in which they are supposed to fight for survival in the Third Division without being able to prepare.

For 1. FK Svidník, the situation is even more difficult. They are last in the classification, their financial situation seems to be critical, the players are not in their best shape. Moreover,  their "parent" team, Partizan Bardejov, are in the position to be relegated from the Second Division to this very level, which would possibly mean an automatic relegation of 1. FK Svidník to the Fourth Division. Their first match, this Sunday, 23 May, at home against newly-promoted MŠK Spišské Podhradie, will be very important. A good result might provide a good chance to avoid relegation.

This is the table from where the league will resume and the first rounds to be played:

Table

 

1	FK Humenné	12	11	1	0	40-7	34
2	1. FC Tatran Prešov	10	9	0	1	33-5	27
3	ŠK Odeva Lipany	11	8	3	0	32-7	27
4	TJ Mladosť Kalša	12	7	1	4	38-20	22
5	Slávia TU Košice	11	7	1	3	26-15	22
6	MFK Vranov nad Topl’ou	10	6	1	3	14-13	19
7	FK Družstevník Plavnica	10	5	2	3	17-14	17
8	MŠK Tesla Stropkov	11	4	3	4	18-21	15
9	MŠK Spišské Podhradie	11	4	2	5	22-28	14
10	MFK Snina	12	3	2	7	16-19	11
11	FK Sobrance-Sobranecko	11	3	1	7	12-29	10
12	FK NOVES Spišská Nová Ves	11	2	3	6	13-21	9
13	FK Pokrok SEZ Krompachy	12	2	3	7	12-30	9
14	MFK Slovan Giraltovce	12	2	1	9	7-29	7
15	Milénium Bardejovská Nová Ves	11	2	0	9	11-25	6
16	1. FK Svidník	11	1	2	8	7-35	5

 

Round 11 (23 May 2021)

 

MŠK Tesla Stropkov – 1. FC Tatran Prešov

FK Družstevník Plavnica – Slávia TU Košice

FK Sobrance-Sobranecko – MFK Vranov

1. FK Svidník – MŠK Spišské Podhradie 

 

Round 13 (29-30 May 2021)

 

MFK Snina – 1. FC Tatran Prešov

FK Družstevník Plavnica – MŠK Tesla Stropkov

MFK Slovan Giraltovce – FK NOVES Spišská Nová Ves

FK Sobrance-Sobranecko – Slávia TU Košice

ŠK Milénium Bardejovská Nová Ves – FK Humenné

1. FK Svidník – MFK Vranov

FK Pokrok SEZ Krompachy – TJ Mladosť Kalša

ŠK Odeva Lipany – MŠK Spišské Podhradie

 

 

Round 12 (2 June 2021)

 

1. FC Tatran Prešov – ŠK Odeva Lipany

MFK Vranov – ŠK Milénium Bardejovská Nová Ves

FK NOVES Spišská Nová Ves – FK Družstevník Plavnica