Pogon Szczecin beat Motor Lublin 3:1 in the Ekstraklasa's third round of matches on Saturday, a result that keeps the hosts within reach of the mid-table while sending the visitors deeper into trouble.
Churlinov opened the scoring in the seventeenth minute, and Szalai doubled the lead before half-time in the forty-third. Motor pushed for an equaliser but the visitors could not find the net, and the match looked settled until the final minutes when Aiko and Acosta combined to add two more goals for Pogon.
There were changes throughout the second half, with M. Wojciechowski coming on in the fifty-seventh minute and Santos, Leo Borges, Fabio Ronaldo, M. Juwara and Kikis all making appearances. Yellow cards were shown to T. Plavotic, Fabio Ronaldo and D. Keramitsis.
Pogon dominated the air with thirty aerial duels won alongside thirty for Motor, but it was the hosts who created four big chances compared to just one for the visitors. Pogon took thirty-six shots with forty per cent accuracy, while Motor managed only twenty-five per cent from their twelve attempts on goal.
Motor Lublin held more possession at fifty-six per cent and completed more passes, yet the statistics tell a different story from the result. They crossed nineteen times and completed six, Pogon thirteen crosses with five successful, but the visitors could not turn that control into clear opportunities.
The win moves Pogon Szczecin to nine points from six games, sitting in eighth place after two victories, three draws and one defeat. Motor Lublin remain in fifteenth with five points from seven matches, their record of one win, two draws and four losses showing they have work to do.
And here's the thing about these results — Pogon had nothing to do all evening after the first goal, but they took their chances when it mattered. Motor kept knocking on the door but eventually let the game flow away from them, and by then it was too late to recover.