OTP Bank Liga: Only Paks take maximum points from midweek games

OTP Bank Liga, 19th round:

Mezőkövesd Zsóry FC 2-2 Újpest FC (HT: 0-1)

Goalscorers: MEZ: Jurina (53.), Besirovic (88.), ÚJP: Berecz (14. own goal), Novothny (57.)
Mezőkövesd: Szappanos - Farkas, Neszterov, Katanec, Vadnai - Karnyicki, Cseri, Berecz, Besirovic - Nagy D. (Jurina, 46.), Zivzivadze
Újpest: Banai - Balázs, Litauszki, Heris, Burekovic - Simon (Perosevic, 82.), Onovo, Csongvai, Pauljevic (Bacsa, 92.) - Calcan (Zsótér, 61.), Novothny

In the only OTP Bank Liga match of Tuesday evening, the home side - who defeated Újpest away from home back in October - twice found itself trailing but recovered to eventually salvage a point. Újpest took a 14th-minute lead through a Zsombor Berecz own goal following a free-kick and they remained ahead until the 53rd minute, when substutute and new January signing Marin Jurina arrived in the penalty area at the perfect time to stroke home an equaliser. Soma Novothny capitalised on defensive uncertainty to re-establish Újpest's lead and his team should have secured the three points thereafter, only to spurn several good chances and they would pay for this profligacy when Besirovic found an 88th-minute leveller for the hosts.

Wednesday then saw a further five fixtures take place, from which only Paks emerged victorious.

ZTE FC 1-1 Kisvárda Master Good (0-1)
Goalscorers: ZTE: Ikoba (77.), KIS: Viana (31.)
ZTE FC: Demjén - Szépe, Bobál D., Lesjak, Bedi - Katelarisz, Gergényi - Stieber (Barczi, 71.), Mitrovic, Radó (Ikoba, 46.) - McWoods
Kisvárda Master Good: Dombó - Hej, Beriosz, Rubus, Protic - Lucas, Cukalasz (Simovic, 62.) - Obradovic (Sassá, 59.), Bumba, Grozav (Tischler, 87.) - Viana

Zalaegerszeg dominated the opening exchanges, creating numerous decent opportunities to score while at the other end, Kisvárda couldn't test home-team keeper Patrik Demjen. American Eric McWoods missed several of those clear goalscoring chances though and instead it was the visitors who took a 31st-minute lead thanks to Viana's spectacular scissors-kick. The hosts still dominated pay thereafter but they couldn't restore parity before half-time and indeed Kisvárda nearly doubled their ead through another scissors-kick but this time Demjen was equal to Sassa's effort. They had further chances too but none were converted and instead it was Zalaegerszeg who conjured up an equaliser, substitute Ikoba rescuing a deserved point in the 77th minute.

Puskás Akadémia FC 2-2 Diósgyőri VTK (0-0)
Goalscorers: PUS: Knezevic (50.), Hegedüs L. (91.), DIÓ: Iszlai (58. pen), Molnár G. (70.)
Red card: Hadzhiev (68.)
PAFC: Hegedüs L. - Szolnoki, Meissner, Hadzhiev, Deutsch L. (Favorov, 82.) - Urblík (Slagveer, 65.), Van Nieff - Plsek, Knezevic, Gyurcsó - Vanecek (Mebrahtu, 46.)
DVTK: Danilovic - Vági A., Polgár K., Brkovic, Tamás M. - Márkvárt, Iszlai - Kiss T. (Hasani 59.), Rui Pedro (Molnár G. 65.), Cortés (Korbély 84.) - Tabakovic

Puskás Akadémia started this fixture in the ascendancy but couldn't convert that dominance into goals and instead Diósgyőr, largely in defensive mose until the half-hour mark, settled into the game. Still, the first-half remained goalless but that changed in the 50th minute when Josip Knezevic finished off a nice move to give the hosts the lead. The lead didn't last long though, Bence Iszlai drawing Diósgyőr level with a penalty which had been awarded for handball and his side taking advantage of Kamen Hadzhiev's dismissal for two bookings by taking a 70th-minute lead courtesy of Gábor Molnár's run and sweet lob. Puskás Akadémia desperately sought an equaliser and it came in added time from a most unlikely source, goalkeeper Lajos Hegedüs heading in a rebound after Artem Favorov's near-post header from a corner had bounced off the far-right post.

Kaposvári Rákóczi FC 0-3 Paksi FC (0-2)
Goalscorers: PAKS: Könyves (17., 41.), Sajbán (83.)
Kaposvári Rákóczi FC: Pogacsics - Vachtler, Hegedűs D., Tarasovs, Fodor - Nagy J., Jakimiv (Trebotic, 64.) - Zsiga (Palic, 46.), Csiki, Balázs - Ádám
Paksi FC: Rácz G. - Osváth (Kulcsár D., 61.), Szélpál, Kelemen, Szabó J. - Szakály D., Balogh B., Bertus - Könyves (Kecskés, 80.), Böde, Hahn (Sajbán, 67.)

Kaposvár would come to regret missing a raft of early chances to score when Paks swiftly counter-attacked from a corner and Norbert Könyves was on hand to put the visitors ahead. The veteran striker doubled his tally four minutes befoe half-time with a fine finish high past Kaposvár keeper Pogacsics' left hand and that effectively decided the destination of the points, Paks easily preserving their advantage in the second half and indeed extending it seven minutes from time through substitute and debutant Máté Sajbán's excellent near-post header. Four wins out of the past five games have certainly eased Paks' relegation fears.

Debreceni VSC 1-1 MOL Fehérvár FC (0-1)
Goalscorers: DEB: Bódi (81. pen), FEH: Hodzic (27.)
DVSC: Kosicky - Habovda, Kinyik, Pávkovics, Ferenczi - Csősz (Kundrák, 77.), Kusnyír - Bódi, Szécsi, Varga K. (Milunovic, 60.) - Adeniji (Garba, 68.)
MOL Fehérvár FC: Kovácsik - Fiola, Musliu, Vinícius, Stopira - Pátkai, Elek (Futács, 83.) - Bambgoye (Huori, 78.), Kovács I., Petrjak - Hodzic

An even first twenty minutes of the match was followed by the opening goal for the visitors, Hodzic putting Fehérvár ahead in the 27th minute, but it was Debrecen who took control of the match theerafter and shoud have equalised before Ádám Bódi's 81st-minute penalty levelled matters. Fehérvár also had goalscoring opportunites butin the end both sides had to settle for a point.

Ferencvárosi TC 0-0 Budapest Honvéd FC
Ferencváros: Dibusz - Lovrencsics, Blazic, Otigba, Heister (Civic, 83.) - Haratin, Sigér (Lodico, 63.) - Zubkov, Isael, Nguen - Boli (Varga R., 67.)
Budapest Honvéd: Tujvel - Batik, Kamber, Niba (Lovric, 61.) - Kálnoki-Kis, Ikenne-King (Kukoc, 76.), Hidi, Banó-Szabó, Moutari, Kesztyűs (Buna, 80.) - Lanzafame

Reigning champions Ferencváros started the match explosively but were unable to breach a tightly-packed Honvéd defence and this was the status quo for most of the ninety minutes. Boli and Moutari both had good chances to give their sides the lead but the tempo dropped significantly and neither team was able to stretch the other unduly, thus the game ended goalless. Ferencváros are now 15 league matches unbeaten and an extraordinary 46 unbeaten at home. Meanwhile, Budapest Honvéd have now gone six matches without a win, four of those being drawn.

An updated OTP Bank Liga table can be found here: 

http://ada1bank.mlsz.hu/club?evad=52&szervezet=0&verseny=20850&fordulo=19&teamId=193805