Vrbovec saw off Daruvar 4-1 in the Cup's Round of 64 on Tuesday evening. The result sends the hosts into the next stage while Daruvar's campaign comes to an abrupt end. and here's the thing — the match itself told you exactly where things were heading after the interval.
Vrbovec took the lead through F. Rihtar in the 48th minute, then kept the pressure on. F. Janekovic doubled the advantage just four minutes later, and M. Parkhomenko made it three from the spot. S. Ivancic added a fourth before Daruvar managed to find the net through L. Gasparovic in stoppage time.
to be fair, Daruvar had their chance to respond but couldn't find the balance. The visitors were left chasing the game for long stretches, and once Vrbovec went two ahead the complexion changed entirely. by then the visitors were already playing catch-up.
The goals came in a tight window between the 48th and 63rd minutes, which is where the match was decided. Vrbovec scored four in eleven minutes while Daruvar could only muster one reply when time was running out. That kind of burst tends to leave teams flat-footed.
Vrbovec's recent form hasn't been particularly encouraging — they lost three of their last five outings before this cup victory. Daruvar's exit means they'll need to regroup quickly if they have anything left in the competition. The hosts now move on, having done enough at home.
