Victory for Slovancko in the 1. Liga as they secured a 2-1 win away at Viktoria Plzen on Saturday evening. The result moves the visitors off the bottom of the table while Plzen remain fifth after seven matchdays. To be fair, the home side started brighter, taking the lead just before half-time through M. Jancarova. By then, Slovancko had already shown they were not going to disappear into the background.
Plzen's opener came in the forty-fifth minute with a minute of added time. Jancarova found space and finished clinically, sending the home crowd into a brief celebration. Slovancko responded quickly once the second half began. E. Jurenikova equalised in the forty-ninth, catching the hosts off guard and shifting the momentum.
The match opened up after that, with both sides looking for a winner. Slovancko took the lead in the seventy-fourth when M. Bader struck, and the away players held firm as the clock ran down. There were several substitutions as coaches tried to manage tired legs, with Plzen bringing on S. Strakova and D. Hruzikova for N. Chromeckova and M. Speek.
Discipline became an issue as the game wore on. F. Dube received a yellow card in the twenty-seventh minute for a foul that went to review. Another booking followed in the seventy-first minute, and D. Jonasova was cautioned late on in the eighty-fourth. These incidents did not travel to make up the numbers — they reflected a match that got stretched.
Plzen sit fifth with nine points from seven games, three wins and four defeats. Slovancko are sixth with seven points, two victories and one draw. The gap between them is narrow, and this result could prove significant as the season progresses. The home side have hit a wall recently, losing their last outing 5-1 to Slovan Liberec.
