Gyeongnam held on to beat Paju Cityzen 1:0 in the K-League 2 regular season, matchday 24, on Saturday 29 August 2026. The result leaves the hosts ninth with 30 points and moves the visitors further adrift in twelfth, still on 25 points from 23 games.
There was little to separate the sides for most of the contest, and here's the thing that stands out — the only goal came late, when Kim Hyeon-oh found the net in the 87th minute. Before that, both managers had already reshuffled their lines. Gyeongnam brought on Cho Sang-Jun, Ahn June Hyuk and Lee Min-Ki at the break, while Paju Cityzen responded with Hong Jeong-un and the double swap of Kwon Gi-Pyo and C. Mbah in the 68th.
Yellow cards began to accumulate as the game stretched. J. Bonilla went into the book in the 52nd minute, and then came a burst of cautions near the end — Cho Jin-Hyuk for Gyeongnam in the 82nd, Kim Jung-Hyeon and Lucao for Paju Cityzen both in stoppage time. By then Bonilla also came off, replaced by Choi Bum-Kyung, and Gyeongnam added Kim Hyeong-Won and Kim Ha-min in the 90th.
The numbers tell a story of pressure without penetration. Paju Cityzen recorded 107 attacks against Gyeongnam's 93, and registered six shots on target to three, yet could not find the back of the net. Gyeongnam's shots accuracy sat at 27 per cent, while their visitors managed 35 per cent — many chances went begging on both sides.
What this means for the table is not much movement, but a widening gap. Gyeongnam's seven wins and nine draws keep them clear of the lower tier, while Paju Cityzen's twelve defeats and only four draws leave them chasing safety with five matches left. The hosts had drawn three of their last five and lost one, while the visitors had won two and drawn two in similar span.