Ruch celebrate Panka’s late equaliser – Photo: Marcin Polański/Slasknet.com
After securing a last-gasp point against the reigning champions Śląsk Wrocław, Ruch Chorzów boss Jacek Zieliński told how he had hoped for much more before the clash, which saw last year’s runners-up distance themselves further from the dreaded drop zone.
“Before the game our appetites were larger.” the former Lech and Polonia boss told reporters, “I am glad we created a lot of situations, but we should also admit that our performance was at a poor level today”.
It didn’t take long for Zieliński’s pre-match optimism to take a knock, as a contender for Goal of the Season gave the visitors Śląsk an eighth-minute lead. Receiving the ball close to the halfway line, a sublime piece of skill from Przemysław Kaźmierczak took him away from both Arkadiusz Lewinski and Łukasz Tymiński. Proceeding a few paces further forward, the former Porto and Derby County midfielder sent a perfectly weighted shot past Michal Peskovic from around 40 yards, sending the visiting fans into raptures.
But despite their lead, it was Ruch who created the better chances in the first period. Within the space of just three minutes, two crosses from the right-hand side fell perfectly for Maciej Jankowski. But with the first missing his head and bouncing off of his shoulder, Jankowski also failed to do anything of note with the second – sending it skywards over the crossbar.
Whilst Ruch may have finished the first half the brighter, the start of the second half belonged to Śląsk. Sebastian Mila forced a good low save from Peskovic, and the Slovakian keeper was once again called into action when a one-two between Sobota and Mila saw the latter’s low shot well held.
As the game went on, the home side began to build a rhythm whilst the Śląsk defence started to show weaknesses – substitute Grzegorz Kuświk putting a free header wide from just a few yards with twenty minutes remaining. But with just seconds of the three added minutes remaining, it was another substitute, Lithuanian midfielder Mindaugas Panka, who snatched a point for the Niebiescy. Marek Zieńczuk’s corner found its way straight through the crowded area, and sneaking away from his marker Rok Elsner, Panka arrived at the back post to tuck the ball comfortably past the outstretched Marian Kelemen. But whilst the referee had no problems with the goal, Śląsk boss Stanislav Levy felt that his side were on the receiving end of a bad refereeing decision.
“Again I would like to see the situation at the end, where the competitors had a corner kick and scored a goal. It seemed to me that it should have rather been a free-kick after a foul on us.”
But whilst there may or may not have been substantial contact in the area, it was a poor defensive error which ultimately cost Śląsk the chance to temporarily climb into second position.
Ruch Chorzów – Śląsk Wrocław 1:1 (0:1)
Panka 90+3 – Kaźmierczak 9
Ruch: Peskovic, Djokic, Baszczyński, Stawarczyk, Konczkowski, Sultes (Janoszka, 70), Tymiński (Kuświk, 62), Starzyński, Lewiński (Panka, 82), Zieńczuk, Jankowski
Śląsk: Kelemen, Ostrowski (Socha, 85), Kowalczyk, Wasiluk, Pawelec, Sobota, Elsner, Mila, Kaźmierczak, Patejuk (Cetnarski, 77), Diaz (Gikiewicz, 73)
Yellow Card: Pavel Sultes (Ruch)
Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Płock)
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