Lehota Hold Firm For Narrow Victory Over Humenné
Baník Lehota pod Vtáčnikom edged past Humenné 1-0 in the Second League's Regular Season sixth round on Saturday afternoon. The result keeps the hosts on an unbeaten run, extending their streak to six matches without defeat. Humenné, meanwhile, dropped further down the table after another disappointing away performance. To be fair, the visitors had earlier shown they could win on the road, but this time they couldn't find the breakthrough they needed.
The decisive moment came in the thirty-second minute when R. Csemy ended a barren spell with a well-taken goal. Lehota had been pressing for an opening all half, and here's the thing — they weren't the only ones looking for chances. Humenné had their own opportunities, but the shots on target count tells a different story. Five each, yet only one found the back of the net. By then, the match had settled into a pattern where Lehota controlled the tempo.
Discipline became an issue as the game progressed. Three yellow cards for the hosts — Y. Kambi, N. Sagan, and later A. Pavelka for the visitors — built up pressure in the closing stages. Humenné collected two bookings before V. Matas received a red card in the first minute of added time. Things came to a head when the visitors lost a man, leaving them to chase the game with ten players. The card felt harsh, but it changed everything in those final moments.
Substitutions started flowing from the thirty-eighth minute as both managers looked for answers. Lehota brought on J. Straka at half-time, while Humenné responded with O. Vyshnevskyi. The game opened up after the break, with N. Sagan and Y. Kambi both replaced in the sixty-fourth minute. R. Csemy himself came off in the seventy-fourth, having done his job. Both sides threw on fresh legs, but the result was already sealed.
Lehota dominated the statistics as expected. They registered 120 attacks against 95 for Humenné, with possession sitting at 58 per cent. The visitors managed only four shots on target compared to Lehota's five, and they won zero corners to four. Here's the thing about those numbers — they show control, not necessarily dominance. Humenné could have taken more risks, but with ten men they had to sit deep.
The result moves Lehota further clear in third place with ten points from six games. They remain unbeaten with two wins and four draws, a solid foundation for the season. Humenné sit eleventh with just six points from two victories and four defeats. The gap between them widens, and the pressure is mounting on the visitors. This wasn't a spectacle, but it was enough for Lehota to hold their position.