Žilina II secured a 2:1 victory over Podbrezová in the Second League's Regular Season third round on Sunday. The hosts took an early lead through M. Traore's 19th-minute strike before the visitors found an equaliser via A. Dovicak's own goal in the 65th. M. Pekelsky then restored Žilina's advantage with an 81st-minute finish to cap a hard-fought win. by then Podbrezová had dominated possession but could not find a winner.
The opening goal came from Traore, who finished a move inside the area. Podbrezová responded with increased pressure and their dominance showed in the statistics — 131 attacks to Žilina's 106 and 59 per cent possession. The hosts absorbed the pressure well, winning 15 free kicks to their opponents' 20 and limiting shots on target to just three. They gave away fewer cheap fouls and stayed compact in defence.
Podbrezová's equaliser arrived from an unfortunate deflection when Dovicak turned the ball into his own net. The visitors had created more chances — five shots off target against Žilina's four — but struggled to convert. Žilina made changes to protect their lead, bringing on A. Ibrahim in the 61st minute and later adding M. Dumbuya and B. A. Sowah. and here's the thing — the match turned on those three decisive moments.
Pekelsky's late goal proved decisive after Podbrezová pushed forward in search of another equaliser. Žilina made a defensive substitution, bringing on J. Michlik in the 85th minute before replacing Pekelsky himself shortly after. The hosts had one yellow card for M. Skvarka while the visitors remained clean. Three offsides were called for each side, showing similar levels of defensive awareness.
The result leaves both teams level on 13 points after seven games, with Podbrezová holding third place and Žilina fourth. Both sides have recorded four wins, one draw and two defeats in the opening rounds. Žilina's recent form includes a 1:0 win over Inter Bratislava on their last outing, while Podbrezová had taken three points from their 2:1 victory over Považská Bystrica. The table gap remains minimal heading into the next fixtures.