Recap
Dragoons Fight Back
The Dragoons displayed resilience and determination in a thrilling 5-3 victory over SKS Jastrzębiec Książ Wielki on a wet Sunday morning. A game full of twists and turns saw the Expats come from behind twice to claim all three points.
Line-Up
Head coach Hugo Cruz was forced into changes due to injuries and unavailability. The Portuguese tactician switched from his usual 4-3-3 formation to a 3-5-2 setup.
🐉 STARTING XI 🐉
Hugo Cruz 🇵🇹 has named his starting line-up for today’s clash against SKS Jastrzębiec Książ Wielki! 👇
🧤 GK: 🇵🇱
🛡️ DF: 🇦🇷 🇮🇹 🇵🇱🏴🇵🇱
⚙️ MF: 🇨🇩 🇫🇮/🇮🇹 🇮🇳
🔥 FW: 🇹🇷 🇵🇱Time to fight for three points! 💪⚽#COYD💙🖤 pic.twitter.com/tl4F52OeM0
— Krakow Dragoons FC (@DragoonsFc) March 23, 2025
Marcin Obyrtacz continued in goal, with a defensive trio of Kuba Drobny, Josh Dawson, and Simon Calabrese. Roman Bilovol and Szymon Urzędowski started as wing-backs.
In midfield, Enrico Forabosco marked his 100th Dragoons appearance, partnering Corneille Malonga and Rohit Chandran. Up front, Jan Kołodziejski and Emre Çolakoğlu retained their places, with the Turkish man-mountain deployed in attack.
Rob Smits and Martin Vozenilek missed out, the former unavailable and the latter sidelined due to illness.
First Half
The Dragoons made a bright start, with Kołodziejski linking well with Çolakoğlu to carve out an early chance. However, the Polish forward’s tame shot was easily gathered by the keeper.
Despite the promising opening, the game soon turned into a physical battle. Jastrzębiec relied on long balls, winning second balls in midfield, while the Dragoons struggled to create clear-cut opportunities. Urzędowski tested the keeper with a long-range effort, but it was comfortably saved.
Hosts Take the Lead
Jastrzębiec broke the deadlock in the 18th minute through a set-piece. Norbert Górski met a corner with a thunderous header, leaving Obyrtacz no chance and putting the hosts 1-0 up.
Both teams exchanged possession in search of opportunities, but neither side created anything decisive until the Dragoons were handed a an ideal opportunity to level the game.
Dragoons Penalty!
In the 24th minute, a speculative cross from Chandran struck an opponent’s raised arm, and the referee immediately pointed to the spot. Enrico Forabosco stepped up, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to level the score at 1-1.
🎯 ICE-COLD FROM THE SPOT! 🎯
Enrico Forabosco 🇫🇮🇮🇹 ➡️ 12 yards ➡️ No mistake. ❄️⚽
Our midfield magician 🧙♂️ kept his cool to slot home the penalty kick that brought the Dragoons level at 1-1 this past weekend
📽️ Watch the moment he made it count! 👇 #COYD💙🖤 pic.twitter.com/QUHNlK53Ph
— Krakow Dragoons FC (@DragoonsFc) March 26, 2025
Following the goal, both sides had spells of play in each other’s half without any chances of note coming for either side. Set-pieces seemed to be the order of the day, with both sides trying to get an advantage from corner kicks, but both defences came out on top.
Second Penalty For the Dragoons
After a period of pressure in the Jastrzębiec half, the Dragoons won a second spot-kick in the 40th minute. The hosts cleared a Forabosco corner straight back to the Italian. The midfield magician whipped another ball towards the far post and Josh Dawson was bundled over in the box.
Once again the official pointed to the spot and Forabosco converted once again to put the Dragoons in front just before the break.
🎯 SAME SPOT, SAME RESULT! 🎯
Enrico Forabosco 🇫🇮🇮🇹 doubles up from the spot with another ice-cold penalty, giving the Dragoons the lead just before halftime! ❄️⚽
The Dragoons’ captain kept composed – slotting it into the same corner as the first with pinpoint precision. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3PFRq7Q0YQ
— Krakow Dragoons FC (@DragoonsFc) March 26, 2025
Shortly after, the half time whistle blew to end a half that had lacked quality. Neither side had moved the ball around particularly well nor had there been many chances.
The Dragoons had been a little bit wasteful in possession at times, lacking a killer pass in the final third. Defensively, the Expats had in the most part dealt with the long balls, but the midfield had struggled with it’s cohesion at times, especially with second balls.
Second Half
Jastrzębiec started the second half strongly, forcing a series of corners before disaster struck for the Dragoons.
Hosts Level the Game
On 53 minutes, a stroke of misfortune for the Dragoons saw Jastrzębiec grab an equaliser. Set pieces had been a theme of the match so far and this goal was no different. A corner kick bounced up off the sodden turn inside the six yard box and Josh Dawson’s attempt at clearing the ball ended with the defender inadvertently shining the ball into his own net.
Hugo Cruz reacted immediately with a substitution after the goal, with Danilo Birbiglia entering the game to replace Szymon Urzędowski.
The Expats had Marcin Obyrtacz to thank two minutes later as the hosts smelt blood and went on the attack. A long pass went over the Dragoons defence onto the hosts right flank. A cut back found an opponent free on the edge of the box and the incoming shot saw Obyrtacz fly to his left. The keeper got a fingertip to push the ball onto the bar and the Expats managed to get the ball away.
Jastrzębiec Go Ahead
The hosts continued to get forward and got their just reward to regain the lead in the 56th minute with a third goal. Jastrzębiec substitute Kacper Lewicki whipped a dangerous cross with pace into the Dragoons box. Kamil Płatek timed his run to perfection between a static Dragoons defence and touched the ball into the net to bring the score to 3-2.
Hugo Cruz responded by introducing Yuri Samyonov, as the Dragoons searched for a way back into the game.
Dragoons Saved by the Post!
The Expats almost fell further behind in the 65th minute when Patryk Kaźmierczyk broke forward and struck a low effort that beat Obyrtacz but rebounded off the post.
Despite struggling to find their rhythm, the Dragoons kept pushing forward in search of a leveller.
Dragoons Equalise Again!
With 15 minutes remaining, the Dragoons won a free-kick just outside the box after Corneille Malonga was fouled. Time stood still as the midfield magician Forabosco flexed his wand of a left foot and curled the ball off the post. However, fortune favoured the Italian, as the ball rebounded off the diving goalkeeper and rolled into the net for 3-3. Though technically an own goal, it was a fitting way for the legendary Forabosco to cap his milestone 100th appearance.
Let’s try again 😉 pic.twitter.com/qPVlK732cG
— Krakow Dragoons FC (@DragoonsFc) March 26, 2025
The goal seemed to be just the tonic for the Dragoons. The visitors finally seemed to get their act together in possession and looked to control the game. The Dragoons survived a couple of counter-attack scares, but managed to start moving the ball much better than they had been doing.
Malonga Strikes!
Buoyed by the equaliser, the Dragoons began to get more numbers forward and took the lead in the 80th minute. Bilovol played a pass into space for Kołodziejski, who picked out Malonga unmarked in the box. The Congolese midfielder took a touch to set himself before calmly slotting past the keeper to make it 4-3.
🔥 MALONGA MAGIC! 🔥
80th min: Roman Bilovol🇦🇷 ➡️ Jan Kołodziejski 🇵🇱➡️ Corneille Malonga🇨🇩 🎯⚽
Cool, calm, clinical. The Congolese midfielder slots home to make it 4-3 and put the Dragoons ahead! 🐉💪
📽️👇 pic.twitter.com/26zr6egVpL
— Krakow Dragoons FC (@DragoonsFc) March 26, 2025
Final Flourish!
With their confidence soaring, the Dragoons dominated possession in the closing minutes. A late set-piece nearly provided a fifth goal, with Chandran volleying wide of the mark.
Chandran came closer moments later, after receiving a pass from Samyonov after good pressing from the Israeli. The Indian Whirlwind, breezed past two opponents but lashed his effort over the bar.
Jastrzębiec showed a moment of danger late on and thought they had equalised late in the game but Kaźmierczyk’s strike was ruled out for offside – much to the derision of the opponents bench. The correct decision however!
Sealing the Victory!
In the 89th minute, the Dragoons sealed all three points to complete a thrilling fightback in the 89th minute. The substitutes combined with Danilo Birbiglia slipping a pass into Yuri Samyonov. The Israeli dropped his shoulder to bypass a defender and expertly side-footed the ball into the bottom corner for 5-3.
💥 SAMYONOV SEALS IT! 💥
Super sub Yuri Samyonov 🇮🇱 links up with Danilo Birbiglia 🇮🇹 and slots home the vital fifth goal to complete the Dragoons’ 🐉 comeback! ⚽🔥
💯 35th goal for the Expats, 6th this season!
📽️ Watch the goal here! 👇#COYD💙🖤 pic.twitter.com/8CnIzrLzrQ
— Krakow Dragoons FC (@DragoonsFc) March 26, 2025
Jastrzębiec’s frustration boiled over in added time, as Piotr Zapiór received a second yellow card for dissent, reducing the hosts to 10 men for the remaining seconds of the game. Not long after, the referee blew the whistle to end proceedings with the Expats running out 5-3 victors.
A hard-fought win keeps the Dragoons in 5th place, showcasing their resilience in a game that lacked quality but delivered plenty of drama.
Next Up
The Dragoons return home next Saturday to face 3rd-placed JKS Zelków, who come into the match following a dominant 5-1 victory over Iskra Radwanowice.
Zelków remain firmly in the title race, sitting two points behind league leaders Orzeł Bębło and seven points ahead of the Dragoons. They have recorded ten wins, three draws, and just one loss, boasting the league’s third-best defence (18 goals conceded) while scoring 44.
The last meeting between the sides saw the Dragoons take an early lead through a spectacular bicycle kick from Simon Calabrese, only for Zelków to equalize and eventually claim victory with two stunning long-range strikes, despite going down to 10 men.
A tough test awaits, but the Dragoons will look to build on their fighting spirit from this latest victory.
