Polonia Środa saw off Sandecja Nowy Sącz 3-2 in the Round of 64 of the Cup on Tuesday evening. The hosts held their nerve despite a late red card to send them into the next round. It was a result that defied the form book — Sandecja had won three of five since August while Polonia were winless in four.
P. Skrobosinski gave Polonia the lead after twelve minutes, and here's the thing — it came from nothing more than a quick transition. A. Danek equalised six minutes later, and by then the match had taken its first turn. J. Wilczynski restored the home side's advantage just before the interval, then added a second in the forty-ninth minute. P. Kielis pulled one back for Sandecja in the same period.
The complexion changed in the sixty-fourth when Wilczynski made it three, and to be fair the away side never stopped pressing. The red card in the seventy-seventh minute shifted everything, and Sandecja's numerical disadvantage could not be overcome. They had more possession and more shots, but the extra man made the difference.
The statistics tell a familiar story. Sandecja dominated possession at 58 per cent and registered ninety-three attacks against seventy-two. They shot eight times on target to six, and earned nine corners to four. Yet Polonia converted their chances with greater efficiency, and the away side's red card proved costly.
The win moves Polonia into the Round of 32 after a run that had seen them lose four straight. Sandecja's campaign ends despite picking up two points in their last five matches. Cup football has its own rules, and this time the home side survived the storm.