1. FK Svidník are bottom of the table at winter break

1. FK Svidník - MŠK Námestovo 1-4 (0-3)

Pončák 88' - Snovák 10', Jurina 30', Otruba 39', 77'.

Sunday, 12 November 2023, 1 pm local time (12 noon UTC), Svidník City Stadium, Svidník, Slovakia, 15th round of the Slovak Third League - East Group (III. Liga - Východ).

MŠK Námestovo (left, in white), the referees and 1. FK Svidník (in red) before the start of the match. Photo source: capture from the YouTube video broadcast of the match

1. FK Svidník had a very good run of five matches in which they were undefeated, not bad for a team which was bottom of the table since the beginning of the season. This run ended a week before, when they lost 6-1 to second classified Rimavská Sobota, but there were hopes that the home ground will be a strong argument for a good result against MŠK Námestovo. The visitors, on the other hand, did not win any of their last three matches before this one, and another defeat would have thrown them very close to the relegation line.

Námestovo was clearly the better team, and this was obvious from the very beginning, as they charged almost continuously. Their efforts soon materialized: Martin Palider's long range shot hit the post, the ball came back to Matúš Snovák in the centre of the box, and he even had the time to control and prepare the shot before scoring: 0-1 (10').

The home side tried to come back into the game, but their attacks lacked strength and precision, providing the visitors with many opportunities on fast breaks. Eventually, one of these fast breaks succeeded: Matúš Otruba crossed from the right side, Oleksandr Bilonozhko touched the ball in front of the goal, merely setting it for Martin Jurina's shot from close range: 0-2 (31').

This goal clearly affected the Svidník morale, while Námestovo felt the good moment and pressed for a third, which came before the break, after a corner from the left side. A shot was saved by Anton Dzupina, but Aldahir Jiménez Yánez failed to clear properly, allowing L'ubomír Jaššo to shoot, the goalkeeper saved again, but Matúš Otruba was there to tap it in: 0-3 (39').

In the second half, 1. FK Svidník tried to balance the game, and they largely succeeded because the visitors showed less interest in the offensive and focused on preserving the advantage. Some chances occurred at both ends of the field. MŠK Námestovo maintained an overall control of the match, leaving virtually no chance to the home side, which lacked creativity and even physical strength, on a muddy pitch. The fourth goal came after another corner, this time from the right side. One of the Námestovo players headed the ball towards the far post, where Matúš Otruba was well-placed to tap it in once again: 0-4 (77').

The consolation goal for Svidník came late, just a couple of minutes before the end of the regular time, and it was the fruit of a completely individual action, that of Boris Pončák, who dribbled in a sort of Messi-style all the opposite defenders, on the left side, then on the line at the end of the field, and fooled the goalkeeper as well before scoring into an empty net: 1-4 (88'). 

Svidník: Dzupina - Makara, Ducár, Lukčo, Jiménez Yánez - Palaj (Gajdoš 62'), Leško, Pončák - Klučár, Reiter, Vasil'. Manager: Tomáš Suslo.

Námestovo: Krivulčík - Vorčák (Kl'uska 87'), Jaššo, Fukas, Aliouat, Palider, Snovák (Košarišt'an 85'), Otruba, Jurina (Hrubjak 85'), Bilonozhko (Barutík 64'), Cicek. Manager: Ivan Rusnák. 

Referee: Martin Švolík.

Yellow cards: Lukčo 45', Makara 62' - Fukas 2', Jurina 36'.

The next game for 1. FK Svidník will only be in March 2024. They finished the first half of the season on the last place, and if they remain there, they will be relegated at the end of the season. The gap between them and the other teams is not large, but the club management has to prepare well the spring part of the season in order to avoid relegation. This happened before, and it may happen again, with the right choices in terms of players.

MŠK Námestovo still have a game to play this autumn, on Friday, a postponed match against ŠK Odeva Lipany, at home. 

Full results, table and fixtures:

 

Round 15 (11-12 November 2023)

 

FTC Fiľakovo – MŠK Rimavská Sobota 1-2

MŠK Novohrad Lučenec – MFK Vranov nad Topl’ou 2-0

Partizán Bardejov BŠK – MŠK Spišské Podhradie 1-1

Slávia TU Košice – MŠK Tesla Stropkov 3-3

Stará Ľubovňa Redfox FC – TJ Tatran Oravské Veselé 1-0

1. FK Svidník – MŠK Námestovo 1-4

TJ Baník Kalinovo – MFK Snina 5-2

ŠK Odeva Lipany bye

 

Table

 

1	MŠK Tesla Stropkov	14	9	4	1	33-10	31	Promotion to 2. Liga
2	MŠK Rimavská Sobota	14	9	3	2	27-12	30
3	Stará Ľubovňa Redfox FC	14	7	3	4	24-22	24
4	MFK Snina	14	6	4	4	30-27	22
5	FTC Fiľakovo	14	6	2	6	19-24	20
6	ŠK Odeva Lipany	13	6	1	6	24-20	19
7	Slávia TU Košice	14	5	4	5	23-21	19
8	MŠK Novohrad Lučenec	14	5	3	6	13-22	18
9	MFK Vranov nad Topl’ou	14	5	3	6	31-28	18
10	TJ Baník Kalinovo	14	6	0	8	26-27	18
11	MŠK Námestovo	13	5	2	6	24-20	17
12	MŠK Spišské Podhradie	14	3	5	6	23-26	14
13	TJ Tatran Oravské Veselé	13	4	2	7	12-20	14
14	Partizán Bardejov BŠK	13	3	4	6	21-33	13	Possible relegation to 4. Liga
15	1. FK Svidník	14	2	4	8	16-34	10	Relegation to 4. Liga

 

In case that two or more teams are equal on points, the main ranking criteria are the results of the head-to-head matches.

 

Round 7 (17 November 2023)

 

MŠK Námestovo – ŠK Odeva Lipany

 

Round 8 (19 November 2023)

 

TJ Tatran Oravské Veselé – Partizán Bardejov BŠK

 

Round 16 (2-3 March 2024)

 

MŠK Novohrad Lučenec – MFK Snina

Stará Ľubovňa Redfox FC – ŠK Odeva Lipany

Slávia TU Košice – Partizán Bardejov BŠK

1. FK Svidník – MŠK Tesla Stropkov

FTC Fiľakovo – MŠK Námestovo

TJ Baník Kalinovo – MŠK Rimavská Sobota

MŠK Spišské Podhradie – TJ Tatran Oravské Veselé

MFK Vranov nad Topľou bye