Marek claimed a narrow 1-0 victory over Etar Veliko-Tarnovo in the second league regular season on Friday evening. The result keeps them in the lower half of the table while Etar remain fourth. This was their third meeting of the campaign, and the hosts finally got something from the fixture after previous attempts fell short.
The decisive moment arrived in the seventy-second minute when Marek broke the deadlock. It was a tight contest throughout, and they paid for a sloppy opening with constant pressure from their opponents. The goal changed the complexion of the game, and Etar were forced to chase from that point forward.
Discipline became a major factor as the match wore on. Marek collected four yellow cards between the twenty-fourth and ninetieth minutes, while Etar added three of their own. The situation escalated in stoppage time when Etar received a red card in the ninety-fifth minute, leaving them with ten men for the final moments.
Before kickoff, Etar sat fourth with fourteen points from eight games, three ahead of Marek's tenth. To be fair, the gap wasn't insurmountable, but Etar's position suggested they were the stronger side on paper. Marek had won three, drawn once and lost four, sitting in thirteenth place.
The contrast in recent form was stark. Etar had won their last five matches, including an eight-0 demolition of Sevlievo and a five-1 victory over Nesebar. Marek, meanwhile, had lost four of their previous five, with only a two-0 win against Pirin Blagoevgrad providing any comfort.
By then, Etar's momentum had been halted. A single goal and a late dismissal proved enough to keep Marek ahead, and the visitors cannot afford another slip if they want to close the gap on the leaders. The result leaves Etar third in the table after this round of fixtures.