Season ends with a draw at the home of ZTE

Hodzic put Vidi ahead but a long range effort from the home side meant that the game ended 1-1.

Match 33 of the OTP Bank League was also the final one of the current season. Vidi visited the home of ZTE, whose recent climb up the table meant that they were safe. The red and blues went into the game already knowing that we will close this season as silver medallists, the match had more prestige value as both teams wanted to close the 2019-2020 season with a victory. The ZTE striker Andras Rado, ended the season as top league goalscorer with 13 goals to his name before the last day of play.

Joan Carrillo picked the following starting line-up: Kovacs D. - Fiola, Rus, Musliu, Hangya - Nikolov, Houri - Kovacs I., Hodzic, Funsho - Futacs.

The home team threatened after the 4th minute with FTC loanee Bole trying from 17 meters, but it took a deflection. A minute later, however, and it was Vidi that had the advantage: Funsho fed Hodzic a nice ball from the left, and he calmly took it next to the home goalkeeper, before shooting from a tight angle and into the empty goal (0-1).

In the 8th minute, the scoreline almost read 0-2, Hodzic receiving another great ball again, before turning from 15 meters and sending his low shot against the goal post. In the 11th minute, Kovacs saved Katanec's close range header with a good stop. Three minutes later Kovacs played a pass to Futacs, but Demjen confidently saved the shot in the middle of the goal. In the 27th minute, Hodzic's shot was blocked by Demjen's foot, the rebound was curled towards goal by Kovacs from 15 meters, but this was also caught by the home goalkeeper. In the 33rd minute, Tamas Krisztian fired at goal from 14 meters. The action continued in the 37th minute, Tamas' pass was a hair's breadth too high for Bobal, who arrived in front of goal hungry to find the back of the net, but Rus finally cleared the danger. Two minutes later Mitrovic curled a free kick from the left, which keeper Kovacs tipped away from under the crossbar.

Before the break, Mitrovics shot from 16 meters at goal with great force, Kovacs seemed to make contact with the ball, but the TV replay showed that our goalkeeper did not touch it. Futacs did put the ball into the net at the other end but it was ruled offside. 

At the beginning of the second half Rus cleared the danger in front of our goal, then in the 53rd minute Futacs stepped in between the defenders, and our forward saw his shot from 10 meters denied by Demjen in the home goal. Hodzic sent the rebound over the goal from 18 meters. 10 minutes later and Futacs scored his second goal of the match, but again it was flagged offside by the match official. In the 66th minute, Petryak sent a low shot into the arms of Demjen. There were 80 minutes on the clock when there were chances at both ends: first Kovacs threw himself to tip away a cross from the the wing just ahead of Rado. Then Demjen saved following a good chance by Futacs. In the 84th minute, ZTE equalized: a ball was picked up by Babati close to the halfway line, before he looked up and sent a shot from about 45 meters above Kovacs and into the back of the net (1-1).

In the 89th minute, Babati headed Bole's high ball just wide of the far post from 10 meters. In the 91st minute, Mitrovics controlled the ball before sending his shot against the near post from a sharp angle. Before the end, Nikolics headed Nego's pass beautifully into the ZTE goal - but the assistant put his flag up and this was our third goal, which was ruled out in the match.

There were no more goals as we picked up a point in Zalaegerszeg, collecting 63 points as we close the 2019-2020 season in second place.

Author: David Rechnitzer

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