Nola-Banya and Zlate Moravce shared the spoils in a Cup Round of 64 tie that stretched into extra time and penalties on Tuesday. The match finished 1-1 after ninety minutes before the shootout separated them, with both sides converting four penalties each before the final tally was decided.
And here's the thing about the opening half — Nola-Banya struck first when they took advantage of a moment of confusion in the box. The home side's goal came in the sixteenth minute, a simple finish that gave them early control of proceedings.
By then Zlate Moravce were growing into the game, but everything changed in the eighty-third minute when a red card shifted the balance completely. To be fair, the visitors didn't let the numerical advantage slip, scoring their equalizer just a minute later in the eighty-fourth.
Extra time produced nothing of substance, so the result went to penalties where nerves did the talking. Four penalties were scored by each side before the shootout finally concluded, with both goalkeepers forced into action as the tension mounted.
The statistics tell a different story from what unfolded on the pitch. Zlate Moravce dominated possession at fifty-six per cent and registered more attacks, but Nola-Banya's defensive resilience and that red card moment altered the entire complexion of the contest.
Both teams came into this tie with mixed recent form — Nola-Banya had won their last league outing 3-1 against Dynamo Diviaky, while Zlate Moravce's most recent result was a narrow 1-0 victory over Tatran Presov. The draw means neither side advances, and the cup journey ends here for both.