Recap
A Comfortable Win
The Dragoons booked their place in the third round of the Puchar Polski with a comfortable 5–1 win away to Kolejarz-Prokocim II.
Following the 4–1 win over Prądniczanka II in the last round, Head Coach Gonçalo Ferreira made four enforced changes to the starting XI.
Gabi Muñoz retained his spot in goal for a second game in a row. However, the backline saw a reshuffle as Roman Bilovol returned to the team in the place of Gracjan Bałuch at right back. Meanwhile, Kuba Drobny and Simon Calabrese came in for Brian Lemmen and Michael Syska-Lamb at the heart of the defence. At left-back, Szymon Urzędowski continued as the only defender to keep his spot.
The midfield trio remained unchanged once again. Enrico Forabosco started in the deep lying playmaker role, with Rob Smits and Fernando Gámez lining up either side of the Italian.
In attack, Adrian Paliś and Serhii Yelysieiev kept their places out wide, whilst Vałdzis Fuhaš led the line, replacing the unavailable Yuri Samyonov.
🏆⚽️ LINE UP ⚽️🏆
Puchar Polski Round 2 incoming! 🏆
Here’s the XI chosen by Head Coach Gonçalo Ferreira 🇵🇹 as the Dragoons take on KS Kolejarz Prokocim II in today’s away clash 👇
🧤 GK: 🇨🇱
🛡️ DEF: 🇦🇷🇮🇹🇵🇱🇵🇱
⚙️ MID: 🇮🇹🇪🇸🇳🇱
🔥 ATT: 🇵🇱🏴🇺🇦#COYD💙🖤 pic.twitter.com/8ZrIVNVXl5— Krakow Dragoons FC (@DragoonsFc) August 2, 2025
A Bright Start for the Hosts
Assistant Manager Scott Halcrow took charge in the absence of both Ferreira and Hugo Cruz and with the bright sun burning down, the game started pensively with both sides feeling their way into the game.
However, the English coach was left fuming just nine minutes in. Forabosco clipped an opponent as he attempted to clear, and despite the initial contact appearing outside the area, the referee pointed to the spot and booked the Italian for dissent. To add insult to injury, the linesman missed a blatant foul-throw in the build-up leaving Halcrow even redder in the face.
When the action restarted, the hosts converted the penalty high into the net to make it 1–0 leaving the Dragoons with it all to do!
Dragoons Look To Hit Back
As the early stages progressed, the Expats struggled to find space as Kolejarz looked to pack the middle of the park. But to their credit, the Dragoons pushed for an equaliser. In the main, the team remained composed but a lack of a final pass killed the opportunity to create goalscoring chances.
In the 17th minute, the Dragoons managed to create their first real chance of the game. Fuhaš worked the channel and whipped a cross into the box towards Yelysieiev. The Ukrainian winger got to the ball first on the volley, but could not keep the ball down and it sailed over the bar.
Moments later, Yelysieiev was in the thick of the action again. The winger looked to pick out Fuhaš free in the box. However, a defender got a toe to the ball and looked like it might creep into his own net but dropped just wide. From the following corner, Paliś recycled the ball into the box, and Drobny attempted an acrobatic effort but couldn’t connect cleanly and the keeper gathered the attempt with ease.
Although the Dragoons looked to be getting a grip on the game, they had to be wary of danger down the other end. A set-piece from just inside the Expats’ half produced a chance for a second Kolejarz goal. The ball fell kindly in front of an attacker, however, he failed to get a telling touch and the attempt went wide of the goal.
Dragoons Hit Their Stride
A water break gave Halcrow the chance to rally his side and encourage the team to go wide and stretch the packed midfield.
On 33 minutes, the advice paid dividends. Kolejarz failed to clear their lines under heavy pressure, and Yelysieiev showed good determination to steal the ball of the toes of a defender on the edge of the area. The Dragoons new signing immediately rifled a low drive past the keeper to level the score at 1-1.
⚡️ SCORE LEVELLED!
Serhii Yelysieiev 🇺🇦 steals the ball off the toes of a defender on the edge of the box and rifles a low shot past the keeper for our equaliser!💥#COYD💙🖤 pic.twitter.com/nRZJCIsTu8
— Krakow Dragoons FC (@DragoonsFc) August 4, 2025
Just three minutes later, the Dragoons turned the game completely on it’s head as they went into the lead. Good work in the midfield saw the Expats win possession. Gámez drove forward purposedly and slipped a through pass into Paliś, who raced into the right side of the box. The attacker put a great pass across goal to find Yelysieiev’s back post run and the Ukrainian wasted no time in blasting the ball into the top corner, notching both his and the Dragoons second goal of the day.
🧠💥 SURGICAL PRECISION!
Fernando Gámez 🇪🇸🇮🇨 breaks and threads it. Adrian Paliś 🇵🇱 with the run and cross.
Serhii Yelysieiev 🇺🇦 arrives and arrows it into the top corner. 🏹🎯
Two goals in three minutes for the Ukrainian and Dragoons! Game turned on its head! 🐉🔥#COYD💙🖤 pic.twitter.com/FG1apecJ97
— Krakow Dragoons FC (@DragoonsFc) August 4, 2025
With five minutes left in the half Gámez and Yelysieiev remained at the heart of the action. The Canarian King combined well with the Ukrainian and sprinted down the left wing. Gámez laid the ball back into the path of Smits on the edge of the area and the Dutchmeester caught the ball beautifully, sending a ferocious effort at goal that whistled narrowly past the post.
Unfortunately, a groin strain ended Smit’s game prematurely shortly after and Corneille Malonga entered in the place of the Dutchmeester.
🎶 Gámez Channels ABBA 🎶
“There was something in the air that night…” and Gámez made sure everyone could hear the drums. Great pressing once again saw Fuhaš set Paliś running down the right showing good footwork to get past a defender. The Pole laid a pass across the edge of box to find Gámez, who took possession and looked to work a shooting chance. The Spaniard eventually unleashed a vicious low strike from 22 metres, that beat the keeper and nestled it into the net for 1–3.
🎶 “There was something in the air that night…” 🎶
Fernando Gámez 🇪🇸🇮🇨 receives Paliś’ 🇵🇱 pass, dances with the ball and drills it low from outside the box.
We could hear the drums, all right! 🥁#COYD💙🖤 pic.twitter.com/ZcUin8g3ti
— Krakow Dragoons FC (@DragoonsFc) August 4, 2025
With the half time break approaching, the Expats looked to further extend their lead. On this occasion, Drobny got on the end of a Forabosco corner, but had to stoop and could only send his headed attempt over.
The whistle blew moments after, with the Dragoons 3-1 ahead and looking in full control. Despite going behind early on, the Expats had not panicked. The side gradually began to get the upper hand and proved good value for their lead at the break.
Second Half
The second half saw the visitors slow the tempo, content to dominate possession and denying the hosts a chance to get into the game.
On the hour, mark Halcrow introduced Jan Kołodziejski for Fuhaš, looking to add fresh energy in attack.
Almost immediately after the change, the Expats worked the keeper for the first time in the half. Bilovol scooped the ball with his first touch with the ball bobbling up into the air and then showed great innovation as he attempted a spectacular flying scissors kick from distance. The ball arrowed towards the goal and forced the Kolejarz keeper to punch the attempt over his own bar.
Kołodziejski then nearly made an instant impact with his first involvement in the game. The forward ran down the right flank onto Paliś’ pass and rounded the advancing keeper at a tight angle. Kołodziejski had time to get closer to goal, but attempted to pass the ball into the unguarded net and could only watch on as the ball trickled just wide of the post.
Just under a minute later, the Expats once again broke through the Kolejarz defence on the right. On this occasion, Paliś entered the box but showed indecision on whether to set-up a team-mate or shoot. The striker chose the latter option and sliced a great chance wide from close range.
Chances Keep Coming
In the 72nd minute, Kołodziejski found time and space centrally to unleash a piledriver from range. The effort saw the goalkeeper parry the ball up into the air and Yelysieiev reacted fastest to get onto the loose ball. The Ukrainian took a touch to take the ball down, but could only blast a difficult chance over the bar on the rebound.
Seconds later, Jan Krzyzanowski returned for his second Dragoons debut to replace Szymon Urzędowski. Unfortunately, the industrious utilityman saw his game ended with cramp in his calf. Krzyzanowski slotted in at right back, with Roman Bilovol moving to the left side of the defence.
More chances followed as the Expats smelt blood and went in search for a fourth goal. Bilovol saw a rasping drive was tipped wide and Malonga then skied a decent opportunity from inside the box as the Expats went close in quick succession.
Forabosco then went even closer. The midfield magician received a pass from Gámez and sent a curling effort that look destined for the net. However, whilst the shot beat the keeper all ends up, the ball smacked against the outside of the post as another chance went begging.
Hat-Trick Hero
With two minutes left to play, the Dragoons finally put daylight between the sides with a fourth goal. Kołodziejski combined neatly with Krzyzanowski finding himself in space inside the box. The Expats’ youngest ever player showed good composure to unselfishly find Yelysieiev free to his left, and the Ukrainian calmly found the corner of the net to complete his hat-trick. That’s four goals in two games for Yelysieiev!
🎩 HAT-TRICK HERO!
Cool as you like 🧊
Great link up play between the Jan’s Krzyzanowski 🇵🇱, and Kołodziejski 🇵🇱, sees the former find Serhii Yelesieiev 🇺🇦 for a tap in!
Three for him ⚽️⚽️⚽️, four for the Dragoons. 💪#COYD💙🖤 pic.twitter.com/VVs1ItOcTf
— Krakow Dragoons FC (@DragoonsFc) August 4, 2025
Sealing the Deal
In added time, there was still room for one more to c0mplete the scoring as two substitutes combined. Stiven Campo ran onto a misplaced pass from the hosts and picked out the run of debutant Alonso Villa-Garcia. The Peruvian took a touch to take the ball away from a defender to put himself in on goal and slotted the ball past the keeper for 1–5.
👑 DEBUT DELIGHT!
Stiven Campo 🇨🇴 collects the loose ball, spots the run and Alonso Villa-Garcia 🇵🇪 takes the stage.
A perfect touch, a composed finish – ¡bienvenido! ⚽️#COYD💙🖤 pic.twitter.com/kJcJcr03qT
— Krakow Dragoons FC (@DragoonsFc) August 4, 2025
Moments later, the referee called time on a dominant performance with the Dragoons advancing in the Puchar Polski. As round three approaches, the confidence within the squad continues to grow!
🇺🇦 MAN OF THE MATCH 🇺🇦
🎩🎯 Hat-trick Hero 🎯🎩 It could not be anyone else really, could it??
New signing Serhii Yelysieiev 🇺🇦 has hit the ground running for the Dragoons, recording 4 goals in 2 games! 🐉
Brawo Serhii 👏👊💪#COYD 💙🖤 pic.twitter.com/Cbqi6tgbbj
— Krakow Dragoons FC (@DragoonsFc) August 6, 2025
