Dragoons 2-2 Trzebol Wielkie Drogi: Point Gained, Points Dropped
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Dragoons Dragoons
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Trzebol W. Drogi Trzebol Wielkie Drogi
Sat, 3 Oct 2026 13:00 Klasa A — Week 7
Gronostajowa 12

Recap

Point Gained, Points Dropped

Fresh off last week’s spirited 3-1 victory against Bratniak, the Dragoons marched into their seventh game of the season against league leaders Trzebol Wielkie Drogi. The occasion was made all the more special by the presence of a distinguished guest in the stands: Mr Giovannantonio Forabosco. Travelling all the way from Italy, perhaps the Dragoons’ biggest supporter, who continues to chip away at Enrico’s inheritance to help fund the club every so often, was in attendance to cheer on the team.

Head Coach Gonçalo Ferreira found himself forced into making adjustments across the entire pitch. Marcin Obyrtacz stepped between the posts, replacing Jake Hedrick who missed out due to injury and travelling back to the States.

Szymon Urzędowski sat out serving his suspension following last weekend’s red card. Gracjan Bałuch stepped up to claim a well-earned starting nod at left-back. Jan Krzyżanowski retained his right-back spot, while Kuba Drobny partnered Joseph Vargas at the heart of the defence.

Mateo López anchored the midfield once again, allowing Enrico Forabosco to push further forward into a more attacking role. The Canarian King Fernando Gámez returned to action after his head injury to complete the engine room, taking over from Rob Smits.

Further forward, man-of-the-moment Flavio Nkola missed out completely in a blow for the Expats’ attack. Kamil Kącki took over his slot, operating in a much more advanced position than usual on the right flank. Jeremi Wabiński led the line as the central forward after his recent goalscoring exploits against Bratniak and, Italian playmaker Mirko Barile rounded off the starting lineup on the left flank.

Kick Off

The referee blew his whistle, and the Expats burst out of the starting blocks with intent. Mirko Barile created the game’s opening chance in the 4th minute when he latched onto a pass from Forabosco. The Italian did well to get past an opponent inside the box and flashed a dangerous low ball across the face of goal. However, the chance passed as no teammate arrived to turn it home.

Early Mistake Punished

Despite a bright opening spell, the Dragoons’ defensive woes struck again as the side fell behind in the 9th minute. Out of absolutely nothing, a long punt upfield caught Vargas backpedalling, while Gracjan Bałuch misjudged the flight of the ball and found himself on the wrong side of Patryk Kowalówka. The Trzebol forward pounced ruthlessly, lifting a sublime 25-metre lob over the stranded Obyrtacz and into the top corner. Once again, a momentary lapse proved costly for the Expats, though full credit goes to the striker for a magnificent finish.

To their credit, the Dragoons refused to panic and pressed forward in search of an equaliser. Clear-cut chances remained hard to come by, with the next half-chance arriving in the 18th minute. Visiting custodian Bartosz Bolek punched away a Dragoons corner, but succeeded only in finding Fernando Gámez on the edge of the box. Unfortunately, the midfielder got his angles all wrong, slicing his effort high and wide.

Four minutes later, a foul handed the Dragoons a free-kick from distance. Having already converted three set-pieces this season, Enrico Forabosco stepped up with confidence. The Italian struck a firm, low effort towards goal, but Bartosz Bolek read it well, diving to palm the ball away to safety.

Trzebol Dangerous on the Counter

Despite the Dragoons having the lion’s share of possession, Trzebol looked extremely dangerous on the counter-attack. In the 32nd minute, Krzyżanowski misjudged an awkward bounce, committed a foul, and earned a yellow card. Obyrtacz sprang to his right to push the resulting free-kick away, but Trzebol regurgitated the ball, and Sunday Mba curled over from the corner of the box.

The Expats kept up the pressure and earned a corner shortly after. Kuba Drobny climbed well above his marker to connect with the cross, but couldn’t keep his header down as the chance went begging.

Trzebol threatened again in the 35th minute as a long ball forward picked out Piotr Lempart isolated on the right flank. The wide man looped an unorthodox, looping pass straight over the static Dragoons backline, catching the defenders completely at sixes and sevens. The ball dropped perfectly into the box for Kowalówka, who timed his run to perfection to break clear of his markers. However, his chest control pushed the forward away from goal, leaving him to drag the opening harmlessly wide of the target.

The league leaders came inches away from doubling their advantage in the 39th minute as the Dragoons struggled to clear a throw into the penalty box. A block thwarted an attempted clearance, dropping the ball straight to visiting danger man Mba. The winger cushioned a side-footed volley towards goal from 8 metres out, but Obyrtacz reacted with superhuman speed to tip the effort onto the crossbar. The Expats eventually scrambled the ball clear, with the stopper’s breathtaking reaction save providing the exact spark and catalyst the Dragoons desperately needed to get back back into the game.

Dragoons Deservedly Level

Just three minutes after that save, Midfield Magician Enrico Forabosco produced a piece of sheer wizardry in the middle of the park. The ageless Italian floated a delicate, perfectly weighted dinked through-ball over the Trzebol defence. Jeremi Wabiński timed his run to perfection, latching onto the ball and showed magnificent composure to casually stab the ball over the diving keeper to bring the Expats level in the 42nd minute. A goal their efforts richly deserved and a second goal in two games for the Polish attacker.

Krzyżanowski picked up a knock in the build-up and departed the pitch, making way for Jesus Andrade just before the break. The Expats then squandered a glorious opportunity to take the lead during first-half injury time. Pressing high, Gámez slipped a clever pass to put Barile clean through on the left side of the box. With only the keeper to beat and on his unfancied left foot, the Italian took an age to shoot and ultimately failed to apply the finishing touch.

The referee blew for half-time with both sides locked in a tense 1-1 stalemate. The Expats huffed and puffed throughout the half, dominating the ball and controlling overall tempo. However, despite their class in the middle, the Dragoons had struggled to create chances and looked exposed whenever Trzebol mounted swift counter-attacks.

Second Half

The Dragoons maintained their fierce momentum immediately from the second-half restart, taking the game straight to Trzebol. In the 47th minute, Forabosco sent a curling free-kick towards the back post, but Joseph Vargas could only nod a good chance wide of the post.

The Dragoons Go Ahead

Barely sixty seconds later, the Expats completed a thoroughly deserved turnaround in the 48th minute of the match. Forabosco pressed high up the pitch, blocking a clearance from a defender, and drove relentlessly toward the byline. The Italian looked like he had done too much, but his attempt to find Andrade bobbled off the keeper, hit a covering defender and dropped into the net.

With the wind in their sails the Expats continued to pour forward in waves, hungrily searching for a third goal to kill off the leaders. In the 50th minute, Kuba Drobny did excellently to intercept the ball and found Forabosco with a pass. The Italian picked out Andrade out wide, who danced through defenders before dragging a shot across the box. The ball narrowly evaded Forabosco’s run at the far post by mere inches.

Two minutes later, the Expats came even closer to doubling their lead. Vargas met another dangerous corner from Forabosco, heading the ball firmly into the ground from six yards. However, the bounce took the ball agonisingly over the crossbar and onto the roof of the net.

Handball!?!?!

On the hour mark, the Dragoons were left enraged after believing they should have had a spot-kick. Wabiński spearheaded a blistering counter-attack down the right flank before picking out Forabosco in space. The Italian slid a threaded pass through to Andrade, whose initial strike brought a save before striking a grounded defender’s hand. However, the ref adjudged the hand to be used in a supporting action and waved away the shouts, with a furious Forabosco earning a yellow card for his vehement dissent.

As the half wore on, frustration mounted for the Expats, with Kamil Kącki going into the referee’s book for a strong tackle on 63 minutes. Trzebol capitalised on the set-piece to win a free header in the box, forcing Obyrtacz into action once again. Showing brilliant agility, the keeper sprang to his left to palm the effort away.

Replacements

On 65 minutes, the Dragoons made their second alteration as Giordano Zambon replaced Enrico Forabosco. The tactical shift saw Wabiński drop from his central forward role into midfield, allowing Zambon to lead the frontline. Moments later, Fernando Gámez went down injured and could not continue, with Robin da Silva entering to take the Spaniard’s place.

Andrade was booked for dissent in the 67th minute, but produced a moment of magic just sixty seconds later. The Colombian danced past four defenders inside the box before cracking a shot that the keeper parried onto the post. The forward displayed immense class, yet opted for personal glory rather than picking out an unmarked teammate in a better position.

Ferreira introduced Martin Voženílek and Giacomo Simonetti in the 74th minute to replace the visibly tiring Kącki and Barile.

Trzebol’s primary threat came through Nigerian national Mba, and the attacker broke clean through on goal in the 81st minute as the Dragoons defence again fell victim to a long ball. However, Obyrtacz raced off his line and stuck out a leg to make another vital save, keeping the Expats ahead.

Penalty Trzebol

The Dragoons’ changes disrupted their rhythm, allowing Trzebol to begin to pin the tiring Expats back. With momentum shifting, the home side was undone by a moment of madness in the 83rd minute. Vargas clipped an opponent heading away from danger, conceding a costly penalty out of nowhere. Mateusz Białek made no mistake from 12 yards, sending Obyrtacz the wrong way to bring the visitors level.

Oscar Nunes came on for Bałuch in the 88th minute as the Dragoons mounted one final, frantic push for victory. Deep into injury time, Wabiński bravely put his head where it hurts, winning a header on the halfway line to set Giordano Zambon loose. The Italian was clean through, with only the keeper in his sightline and Andrade darting ahead of a defender to his left. What followed was absolute comedy… Moving like a man trying to drag an American style fridge-freezer through knee-deep mud, Zambon lost his nerve completely. As a defender caught up and stuck a foot in, the forward panicked, completely imploded, and kicked the ball straight backwards to an opposition player instead.

The referee blew the final whistle immediately following the chaos. On paper, a 2-2 draw against the league leaders represents a well-earned point. Yet, the Dragoons dressing room felt only deep disappointment at full time, while Trzebol celebrated the draw as if they had just won the league title. The Dragoons remain 9th in the table with 8 points to their name, whilst Trzebol remain top but see their lead cut to a solitary point ahead of Nadwiślan.

Summary

Missed chances and erratic late game management may have cost the Dragoons two points, but the overarching story remains one of massive encouragement. Gonçalo Ferreira’s men showed incredible heart and played some of their finest, most dominant football of the season against the league leaders. While they still have to work tremendously hard for every goal and face instant punishment for the smallest error, the performance proves this side can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the division. Jeremi Wabiński epitomised that standard, demonstrating brilliant game intelligence to step up out of position and lead the line superbly once again. Equal praise must go to Marcin Obyrtacz, who stepped into the side between the sticks and pulled off some excellent saves.

All the talent and tools are clearly there, but ability alone counts for little without the right application. Instead of injecting fresh energy into tiring legs, the substitutes largely strolled onto the pitch, causing both the pressing intensity and overall tempo to plummet. Work rate out of possession evaporated as players drifted out of the contest or failed to read the play unfolding around them. Off the ball, the side grew far too casual, lacking the spatial awareness, defensive cover, and intelligence needed to kill off the match. While the Expats managed to slow the play down, they completely failed to put the game to bed, allowing Trzebol to smell blood. Good sides know when to turn the screw, and the visitors, fortunate as they were, found a way to turn a defeat into a draw.

Fight Harder

The issue is never a lack of quality, as every player in this squad is technically capable, but rather a deficit in intensity, communication, and ingame management when the pressure mounts. To convert these promising displays into three points, the side must learn to play with absolute focus and fight for the full 90 minutes. Crucially, despite being a membership-funded club where everyone pays their dues, the coach is ultimately here to win football matches. Paying a membership does not guarantee starts or match minutes for those who fail to perform. Those starting or coming off the bench must compete for every single ball, raise the tempo, and earn their place by forcing the manager’s hand with their performance on the pitch.

To top it all off, the day offered a lovely silver lining for our guest of honour, Mr Forabosco snr. Having suffered through countless matches from back home in Italy where our notoriously unreliable camera setup inevitably gave up the ghost, Giovannantonio finally got to watch the action uninterrupted. Not only did he get to see his son Enrico pull the strings in midfield and deliver a majestic assist that only he is capable of, but in true Dragoons fashion, the camera miraculously decided to behave itself for the full 90 minutes just in time for his visit!

Next Up: Żwierzyniecki Away

Next weekend, the Expats hit the road to take on 12th-placed Żwierzyniecki in another crucial clash. The hosts currently sit on four points from their league campaign so far. Their solitary victory came on home soil against promotion-chasing Nadwiślan two weeks ago. Despite their lowly position, Żwierzyniecki are third top-scorers in the league having scored 20 goals, which is five more than the Dragoons have managed. However, on the flip-side they have conceded 25 goals, nine more than the Expats, but the second worst in Klasa A. With a 6-5 defeat to Cedronka and a 5-5 draw at Skawina against their name, our next opponents certainly seem to enjoy high-scoring games. Good for the neutral one must suppose!

Last season, the Dragoons strolled to an easy victory on the opening day of the season. Later on, the Expats navigated an extremely tricky away surface to snatch victory and complete a league double over our next opponents. The Dragoons came from behind before Fernando Gámez struck late to seal all three points. The team will need that exact same heart, spirit, and desire to triumph next weekend! Lets hope the camera works for Mr Forabosco at home!

Posted on By Dave Burch
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Lineup
99Marcin Obyrtacz (pol)
26Jan Krzyżanowski (pol) 80 33'
13Kuba Drobny (pol)
78Joseph Vargas (col)
22Gracjan Bałuch (pol) 17
4Mateo Lopez (col)
21Fernando Gámez (esp) 88
8Enrico Forabosco (fin/ita) 28 59'
55Mirko Barile (ita) 30
19Kamil Kącki (pol) 27 60'
11Jeremi Wabiński (pol) 42'
83Lorenzo Bartolomei (ita)
17Oscar Nunes (ang) 22
27Giacomo Simonetti (ita) 19
28Giordano Zambon (ita) 8 68'
30Martin Voženílek (cze) 55
38Enzo Gambaro (fra)
80Jesús Andrade (col) 26 68'
81Maickel Vargas (col)
88Robin Da Silva (fra) 21
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