Hungarian Cup Semi-final 1st legs: Újpest beat Békéscsaba before Loki and Fradi draw

Press release – A second-half brace of goals from László Lencse put home side Újpest firmly in control of their Hungarian Cup semi-final tie against NBI strugglers Békéscsaba ahead of the second leg at the Korház utcai stadion. The first leg at Újpest’s home of Megyeri út was a tight affair in the first half, the visitors restricting Újpest to just one or two shots from distance while trying unsuccessfully to counter-attack.

The deadlock was broken in the 53rd minute when Nemanja Andric passed the ball inside from the left wing to Lencse in a central position seven metres out who diverted the ball into the top right corner of the net. Zoran Spisljak was forced to substitute injured goalkeeper Vukasin Poleksic with 20 minutes left, Roland Mursits taking his place, and in the 87th minute Lencse grabbed his second, firing low into the net from 17 metres. There was still time for Újpest to miss a glaring chance to score a third and therefore keep Békéscsaba in with a glimmer of hope for the second leg in April.

In the other semi-final, visitors Ferencváros held Debrecen to a goalless draw in the Nagyerdei stadion despite early pressure which saw Holman, Brkovic and Horváth all try their luck at goal. Fradi goalkeeper Dénes Dibusz saved József Varga’s free-kick in the 34th minute and although Debrecen continued to push, they couldn’t find a way past a disciplined away defence, the first leg ended 0-0 ahead of the second leg in Budapest next month.

– press release – 

Photo: MTI

Source: mlsz.hu