Plzeň earned a narrow 3-2 victory over Zlín in the Czech League's fourth round on Saturday evening, a result that did little to ease the pressure on the hosts despite their home advantage. The match ended with Frank Appiah striking twice in quick succession to rescue points for a side that had looked comfortable letting Zlín take the lead.
Zlín began brightly, with O. Kukucka's own goal at the sixth minute handing them an unexpected advantage. S. Petruta doubled the visitors' confidence at the thirteenth minute, and Plzeň spent much of the opening half searching for a way back into the contest.
It was not until the forty-second minute that the hosts found their footing, C. Kabongo converting a penalty to reduce the deficit. The equaliser shifted momentum, though Plzeň still needed to find a killer instinct before the interval passed.
P. Adu gave Plzeň the lead just after the hour mark, and then Appiah came off the bench to work a short corner that opened the door for his first goal at the eighty-third minute. He completed his brace moments later, and the stadium fell silent as Zlín's hopes evaporated.
Plzeň controlled possession at 62 per cent and registered 107 attacks, yet their shots accuracy sat at just 40 per cent — a statistic that tells you everything about how they kept knocking on the door without always finding the net. Zlín managed only 79 attacks and created one big chance, but their goalkeeper made four saves to keep them in the game for longer than the scoreline suggested.
The result leaves Plzeň ninth with nine points from six matches, still searching for consistency after a 5-5 draw with Teplice last time out. Zlín remain bottom of the table with zero points from seven games, and while this was their first point of any kind in a while, the gap to safety remains enormous.