Unia Oświęcim came from behind to beat Tychy 5:3 on Thursday evening in a Polish Hockey League match that ended the hosts' perfect start. The away side, sitting sixth in the table, threw everything at the leaders and ended a barren spell for their supporters. Tychy had looked invincible after three consecutive victories, but by then the game had slipped away.
We had backed the home side with 57 per cent confidence, but the match went the other way entirely. The visitors clawed their way back from an early deficit and were everywhere in the second period. It was a reminder that nothing is guaranteed in this league.
Unia's recent form had been mixed — a heavy loss to Bitom followed by a narrow win over Zagłębie Sosnowiec — but they turned up on the night. Tychy, meanwhile, had been running riot with scores of 10:1 and 6:2 against lesser opposition. They never got out of second gear, and that cost them.
Both sides now sit on zero points in the standings, which tells you as much as anything about how the season is shaping up. Tychy remain top after three wins, while Unia hold sixth after one victory and one defeat. The gap between them on the table is more theoretical than real at this stage.
What matters is that the result changes something in the mood around the arena. The stadium fell silent when the visitors took control, and you could feel the shift. This was not a comfortable win for Unia, but it was a vital one.
