OTP Bank Liga: Fehérvár drop points, Újpest win again but Mezőkövesd's poor run continues

OTP Bank Liga, 28th round:

Kisvárda Master Good 1–1 Mezőkövesd Zsóry FC (HT: 1–1)
Kisvárda, ref.: Bogár
Goalscorers: KIS: Viana (22.), MEZ: Nagy D. (45+3.)
Red card: Kovácsréti (85.)
Yellow cards: KIS: Melnyik (73.), Kovácsréti (80., 85.), Lucas (94.), MEZ: Jurina (10.), Meskhi (44.)

Kisvárda Master Good: Dombó – Melnyik, Ene, Rubus, Protic – Lucas, Karasiuk – Viana, Cukalasz (Jelena, 87.), Bumba (Kovácsréti, 17.) – Gosztonyi (Sassa, 38.)
Mezőkövesd Zsóry FC: Riabenko – Farkas D., Nesterov (Eperjesi, 46.), Karnitski, Silye - Pekár (Cseri, 78.), Nagy D., Meskhi (Besirovic, 54.), Vajda S. – Takács T. (Dragóner, 78.), Jurina (Zivzivadze, 74.)

This contest started at a good tempo and settled into an even affair, albeit only Kisvárda's goalkeeper Dombó was called into action courtesy of a Dániel Nagy shot which was well saved. That was until the hosts converted their first chance into the opening goal, Fernando Viana guiding the ball past Mezőkövesd's debutant Ukrainian goalkeeper Riabenko for slightly surprising 22nd-minute lead. Kisvárda were emboldened by their advantage but couldn't translate their increased pressure into more goals and instead it was the visitors who equalised in first half added-time, Nagy applying the finish to a swift counter-attack.

Not only had Kisvárda lost their lead, they also needed to substitute two players - Bumba and Gosztonyi - injured during the course of the move that led to the equaliser, the latter having suffered a suspected torn Achilles tendon. The second half was again equal, the home team coming closest to retaking the lead when Lucas' shot from distance struck the crossbar. Both goalkeepers made good saves towards the end to maintain parity for their teams, thus a point apiece was the deserved outcome.

Újpest FC 3–1 Debreceni VSC (1–0)
Szusza Ferenc Stadion, ref.: Berke
Goalscorers: ÚJP: Ristevski (9.), Simon (48., 62.), DEB: Heris (59. own goal)
Yellow cards: ÚJP: Perosevic (81.), DEB: Habovda (76.), Tőzsér (94.)

Újpest: Banai – Pauljevic, Heris, Ristevski, Burekovic – Simon (Bacsa, 78.), Nwobodo, Szakály P. (Onovo, 66.), Perosevic (Rácz, 86.) – Zsótér (Balázs B., 66.), Novothny
Debrecen: Nagy S. – Bényei (Habovda, 64.), Kinyik, Pávkovics, Ferenczi – Tőzsér – Bódi, Csősz (Kusnyír, 29.), Szécsi (Adeniji, 46.), Varga K. (Trujics, 79.) – Garba

The hosts started in confident fashion and seized an early lead when Ristevski diverted a corner into the Debrecen goal after just nine minutes. Thereafter, it became an open game but while there were plenty of well-organised moves on display, clear chances were at a premium for the rest of the first half. That all changed though when Krisztián Simon's superb shot doubled the home team's lead soon after the break, a toothless Debrecen only managing to halve the deficit when Heris put through his own goal just before the hour mark. Simon took only three minutes to re-establish Újpest's lead though, his diving header the last significant action in a second straight victory for Újpest under their new head coach Pedrag Rogan.

Budapest Honvéd 1-1 MOL Fehérvár (0-1)
Új Nándor Hidegkuti Stadion (Honvéd's temporary home), ref.: Bence Csonka
Goalscorers: HON: Ugrai (63.), FEH: Nikolic (4.)
Yellow cards: HON: Lovric (19.), Ugrai (30.), FEH: Pátkai (37.)

Honvéd: Tujvel – Batik, Kamber, Lovric – Mezghrani, Szendrei (Moutari, 84.), Hidi, Gazdag (Nagy G., 84.), Aliji (Uzoma, 46.) – Ugrai (Cipf, 90.), Lanzafame (Kesztyűs, 65.)
Fehérvár: Kovácsik – Hangya, Juhász R., Musliu (Vinícius, 73.), Stopira – Pátkai (Hodzic, 65.), Elek – Bamgboye Funsho (Futács, 80.), Kovács I. (Houri, 65.), Petrjak – Nikolic

Nemanja Nikolic got second-placed Fehérvár off to the perfect start in this fixture with a fine finish from the edge of the penalty area following Ivan Petrjak's unorthodox knockdown with his right heel. Eight minutes later, the situation could have been even brighter when Honvéd's Mezghrani handled the ball on the right side of his penalty box and the referee awarded a penalty, but Tomas Tujvel saved Nikolic's firm shot to the right and then gathered Máté Pátkai's tame follow-up.

Instead, Fehérvár's single-goal advantage remained until the 63rd minute when it was wiped out by Roland Ugrai's thumping shot into the the roof of the net after he'd caught Pátkai dwelling on the ball 15 metres from the Fehérvár midfielder's own goal. The occasional moment of danger appeared for both sides thereafter but there was to be no further change to the scoreline, Fehérvár now eight points behind leaders Ferencváros, having played a game more.