Bytča hosted Žilina II in the Second League, and the visitors claimed a 2-1 victory on Saturday afternoon. The result keeps the away side fourth in the table while the hosts remain in 15th place after another defeat.
The opening half was tight, but Bytča came close to taking the lead when D. Hundak missed a penalty at the twenty-minute mark. To be fair, the hosts had chances, but they could not convert. Žilina II responded with composure, and B. A. Sowah found the net in the thirty-ninth minute.
The second half opened with a change for the home side at sixty-two minutes, S. Koribsky coming on. By then, the visitors were already in control, and they doubled their advantage when P. Jakubik scored at seventy-four. The game looked settled, though T. Korencik added a third at eighty to make it 1-2.
Substitutions followed rapidly. M. Rehak and M. Pavlik both came on for Žilina II in the final ten minutes, while a yellow card arrived at eighty-nine. The visitors dug in well after taking the lead, and their experience showed in the closing stages.
Bytča sit fifteenth with six points from eleven games, two wins and nine losses. Žilina II are fourth with twenty points, six wins, two draws and three defeats. The gap between them is fourteen points, and that is a significant margin in this league.
The result extends Žilina II's position in the upper half of the table, while Bytča's struggles continue. They have not won since the beginning of September, and the away end never stopped their momentum. This was a match decided in moments, and the visitors took theirs.
