Podbrezová secured a 2-1 win away to Lokomotiva Zvolen in the Second League's Regular Season round seven on Saturday. The visitors took the lead twice and survived a late red card to leave Zvolen still searching for their first victory of the campaign.
L. Filipiak gave the hosts the advantage in the sixteenth minute. It was a confident finish that suggested Zvolen would control proceedings after a quiet start, and the home side did respond with sustained pressure.
By then M. Kuzma had already levelled for Podbrezová in the twenty-second minute. To be fair, the visitors were not outplayed so much as efficient, and they took their moment when Zvolen pushed too many men forward.
And here's the thing about the second half — J. Port arrived to change everything. He scored in the forty-eighth and forty-ninth minutes, a pair of goals that turned a tight contest into a match Podbrezová could manage.
Discipline became a problem for Zvolen as the game opened up. S. Jobe picked up two bookings in five minutes before being sent off in the eighty-sixth, leaving his side to defend with ten men.
The statistics told a story of possession without penetration. Zvolen held 53 per cent of the ball and registered 127 attacks, yet Podbrezová's five shots on target produced more than the home side's four.
Three points moved Podrezová to third with thirteen points from seven games. Zvolen remain bottom of the table with three points and a goal difference that has not improved since the opening round.