(photo: Jagiellonia.com)
How unfortunate the timing was of Jagiellonia’s match with Polonia Warsaw? Only days before the two of spring round strugglers have met, it all looked like Tomasz Hajto may not keep his place in Bialystok for the time of Friday game. Only a single win in 2013 and cup exit to Wisla Krakow – something of which Hajto was proud! – forced club board to revise his work so far. And all they could do was to come up with Piotr Stokowiec’s name instead.
Hajto needed a strong statement from the team that supposed to be in conflict with him. When he walked to the club on that Friday morning, he struggled to find any allies, though. Fans are angry at his comments regarding attendances and questioning their commitment. But in that some right must come manager’s way – there were only 2200 of them last night, while the new and still constructed ground will be able to host ten times more. Hajto’s nature created him new enemies in the board, where Jaga’s authorities have noticed that his character is causing more problems rather than solving them in what supposed to be a proggressive season for them.
Finally, there were Hajto’s criticizing comments regarding performances of club’s legend, Tomasz Frankowski. Apparently too old to press high up the pitch, popular “Franek” still is their biggest threat and more than holding his own in the recent interviews that he gave. Unable to talk the issue through behind the scenes, but dependable when it all comes down to the pitch. After Polonia game there might be an end to their media row.
Just three minutes in, Michal Gajos took a set piece from the left wing, aiming to surprise Polonia keeper at near poat. He did more than that – his shot hit the post, rebound of Pawelek’s back and bounced on the line before Frankowski slided the ball in. Not his career’s easiest goal, though, as Jaga’s captai n had two beat two markers to the ball, proving there is still life in the old body of his.
Jagiellonia, content with an early lead, sat deep and enjoyed occassional counter while visitors struggled again in the 3-4-1-2 formation, one that supposed to get as much as possbile from weakened team. Pawel Wszolek, back in the starting line up, did well just before the break to find some space and cross but Milosz Przybecki’s well-timed volley went in and out off the post of Jagiellonia’s goal. Improvement was noticable, much to Stokowiec’s early sub and introduction of Jacek Kielb.
He was at the heart of everything that went well for Polonia in the second half – Kielb passed into free spaces, created chances and caused troubles. But all of that was well for nothing – Golebiewski was at his misfiring worst again, while the rest struggled to take advantage of some poor defending on Jaga’s side. Hosts were attacking too – mostly through the Spanish wizard, Dani Quintana, who was bought only for ten thousand Euro from Spanish third tier. Skillful midfielder dribbled and passed the ball as well as he did since his summer move but wastefullness of his colleagues was frustrating him and Hajto again. Dawid Plizga even tried to catch Pawelek off his line with a 40-yard lob but the keeper kept that one away. When Frankowski was subbed in the 69th minute, the crowds jeered at the manager and chanted loudly their hero’s name – a sign where their loyalities are.
Polonia huffed and puffed but eventually failed to produce second as good chance as the one when Wszolek turned his defender in at the end line but Golebiewski failed to meet his low cross in front of the open goal. And in the end, when Todorovski tried to dribble past Quintana, Spaniard proved there is moee to his game than the technical side as he disposessed last defender and sent Plizga through – and saw his teammate finally finding the net.
Hajto survived and Polonia struggled yet again, as bad news go to worse after their owner statement of virtually stopping financing of the club after failure of his company at the stock exchange. Despite positove result, with Jagiellonia not that convincing and Polonia falling apart, the much-discussed managerial change is perhaps still on cards.
Jagiellonia Białystok 2-0 (1-0) Polonia Warszawa
Frankowski 3′, Plizga 80′
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