Recap
Dragoons Derail Tramwaj
A bitterly cold October afternoon saw the Dragoons travel face Tramwaj II, seeking to continue their unbeaten start to the season.
It took only 7 minutes for the first goal of the game to arrive and in fact, the first shot from either side. A long-throw into the Dragoons box saw Josh Dawson’s headed clearance fall kindly for Tramwaj’s Jakub Leśniak. The winger sent a sweet swerving effort beyond Gabi Muñoz and into the net. Not the start the Dragoons had intended!
Straight from the re-start a long ball forward almost found Yuri Samyonov, however the Israeli could not connect with the ball and Michał Sikora collected.
The Expats continued to look for a way back into the match and came agonising close in the 10th minute. Dragoons captain Mark Szczesnowicz found space from range and hit a low drive that flew millimetres wide of the post.
Officially Denied!
A flag from the assistant referee denied Samyonov an equaliser and the Dragoons were left further frustrated in the 20th minute. Szczesnowicz bundled his way through the midfield and saw his shot spilled into the net by Sikora. However, the referee blew for a foul in the build up with Szczesnowicz’s hand accidentally striking an opponent in the face as he shaped to shoot.
The Dragoons began to find momentum and an excellent ball from Emre Çolakoğlu set Martin Voženílek into the box. The winger sent in a stinging cross-cum-shot that Sikora had to beat away for a corner.
Forabosco took the set-piece and found the head of Voženílek, however Sikora was on hand to snatch the ball under his crossbar.
Tramwaj looked to come forward when they had an opportunity and nearly caught the Dragoons cold in the 28th minute. A cross sent into the box sailed through to the far post, however Leśniak could only shoot into the side netting from a tight angle.
Moments later, Voženílek showed great skill to get forward and saw his progress halted after being fouled. Enrico Forabosco lined up the resulting free-kick from 25 metres, but could not find the target with his shot.
A Tramwaj corner saw the rotund Maciej Wejner find space to head at goal, however Muñoz plucked the ball out of the air to deny a second goal for the home side.
The next chance fell to the Dragoons from a long-throw of their own. Michał Nowak launched a trademark missile into the box and Dawson headed at goal with Sikora on hand to comfortably save.
Opening the Daws
Into the 40th minute, Expats debutant Filippo de Felice won a free-kick by the corner flag, which resulted in Tramwaj’s Jakub Hazior requiring treatment. The resulting free-kick from Forabosco found the head of Dawson, who sent a bullet-header at goal that proved too strong for Sikora to handle and levelled the score to 1-1.
Just a minute later, the Dragoons nearly and should have taken the lead. A ball into the box found the feet of Yuri Samyonov in acres of space. The forward took his time to shoot and saw his effort saved by Sikora with the rebound falling to de Felice. The Italian forward saw his shot charged down and the ball fell back into the path of the grateful Samyonov. The wing-man attempted a lob, however could not find the net as the ball cleared the crossbar.
It looked as if the sides would be going into the break level, however Enrico Forabosco had other ideas. With Hazior still off of the pitch the Dragoons took advantage of the extra man.
As the Dragoons probed the Tramwaj penalty area, the ball fell kindly to the midfield magician on the edge of the box. Forabosco took one touch to set himself, before rifling an unstoppable drive into the top corner to give the Expats the lead.
Second Half
The Dragoons started the second half strongly and thought they had increased their lead with an excellent third goal. Çolakoğlu sent a beautifully weighted pass for Nowak to run onto and finish with aplomb past Sikora. The full-back’s celebration did not last long, as the assistant referee ruled Nowak to have been offside in the build-up.
In the 50th minute, the Expats had a glorious chance to secure a third goal. The irrepressible Nowak stormed forward and played a supreme ball for Voženílek to run onto. The wide-man cut in on his right foot and opted to shoot from close range rather than pass. Voženílek’s effort cannoned off of Sikora’s shins, denying the Czech a first goal for the club.
Minutes later, a quick Tramwaj breakaway saw Dawson foul an opponent resulting in a yellow card for the Dragoons goalscorer. The resulting free-kick saw the Expats fail to clear the initial danger, with the ball falling to Maciej Wejner. The Tramwaj defender struck a fierce, goal-bound effort only to be denied by a superb block from Alexey Zelenkin. An important moment in the encounter!
Forza Forabosco!
The Dragoons heeded the danger and in the 56th minute strengthened their grip on the game with a third goal. Filippo de Felice looked to find space to shoot on the edge of the box and was subsequently fouled. Enrico Forabosco confidently stepped up to take the set-piece with the result never in doubt. The Italian maestro mercilessly smashed a ferocious left footed effort past Sikora and into the top corner of the goal.
Three became four in the 61st minute as that man Forabosco grabbed a stunning hat-trick. Great build-up play saw Szczesnowicz excellently find Samyonov out wide. The wide-man sent the ball back to the edge of the box to the unmarked Forabosco. The midfielder nonchalantly arrowed a curling first-time effort past Sikora and into the net.
In the 69th minute, it could have been four goals for Forabosco. Substitute Flavio Nkola teased the home defence and sent a cross into the box. Forabosco headed the ball and Sikora instinctively saved from point-blank range, however the chance remained. The Tramwaj defence could not clear their lines with a defender booting the ball skywards. Adrian Paliś reacted quickest, timing his jump well, but unable to guide his header on target.
Tramwaj halved the deficit in the 75th minute to bring the scoreline to 4-2. A rare foray forward caught the Dragoons napping at the back. Daniel Makowski put a dangerous ball into the box and Michał Nowak put the ball into his own net.
With the home side tiring, the Dragoons began to create chance after chance. Nkola and Bezirkan saw headed efforts easily gathered and Paliś sent a further headed attempt just wide. Fellow substitute Ernest Bumba Jr also came close, latching onto Nowak’s pass and sending a piledriver into the side-netting.
Goals Galore!
Into the 88th minute, with the game drawing to a close, the Expats struck twice in consecutive minutes to further extend their lead.
Flavio Nkola showed unrelenting pace to dart past the vulnerable Wejner and find himself clear on goal. The Angolan attacker unselfishly squared the ball to Dragoons all-time leading scorer Adrian Paliś. The Polish striker gratefully accepted the chance, stroking the ball into an unguarded net to score the fifth goal.
The sixth goal came straight from kick-off as the Dragoons recycled possession immediately. An enquiring pass forward saw Wejner look to shield the ball to his goalkeeper. Sikora stayed on his line allowing Bezirkan to nip in and toe the ball into the path of Paliś. The marksman thumped the ball into the net for his eighth goal in four appearances this season and to bring the scoreline to 6-2.
Incredibly, the Dragoons nearly added a seventh in the 90th minute. Ernesto Bumba Jr crossed into the box and Paliś threw himself at the ball in an attempt to grab his hat-trick. The striker did not make clean contact with his diving header and the ball fizzed wide.
The referee sounded his whistle immediately after the chance and the Dragoons winning run continues. The Expats have been victorious in all seven games so far this season and have a superior goal difference.
Next up for the Dragoons is a home fixture against Rybitwy, who claimed the spoils the last time the two sides met. Rybitwy are currently in third position after an excellent 1-0 victory over Pychowianka and will no doubt be a tough test for the current league leaders.
