Loki played away against the second-division Mezőkövesd, which got relegated from the first division this year, in the MOL Hungarian Cup on Tuesday. A place among the top 16 teams was at stake, but it seemed even more important for the team, led by the interim head coach Tibor Dombi, to find their way back on the right path. Besides Erik Kusnyir, Thor Úlfarsson and Neven Djurasek, Jorgo Pellumbi was also out of the squad due to a minor injury.

At the beginning of the match, Loki took the initiative. Our team was dominating and played with great will. However, the first bigger chance came from the counter-attack of Mezőkövesd, but Szalai shot wide off the goal. In the 15^th minute, Dusan Lagator made a dangerous header, but the defenders could clear at the end. In the 19^th minute, the home goalkeeper made a brilliant save to deny Balázs Dzsudzsák’s shot from 13 meters, after which Brandon Domingues shot wide off the goal from distance.

DVSC had several corner-kicks by the end of the first 30 minutes, but the team could not create bigger chances out of them. Not long before the break, Deczki, the home goalkeeper, performed another feat to deny Domingues’ shot. Thus, Loki could not convert their chances.

At the beginning of the second half, our team still had their attempts, but meanwhile, the striker of Mezőkövesd, Szalai had a one-on-one opportunity and shot the ball over the goal. The game became more and more tense and it could be felt that one goal could decide the match. In the 62^nd minute, Brandon Domingues had a chance, but he curled the ball over the goal.

Botond Vajda came on for the endgame (later Zhirayr Shaghoyan and Yacouba Silue also came off the bench) and DVSC tried to increase the pressure. In the 77th minute, Soma Szuhodovszki clashed with his opponent inside the box, and the referee awarded a penalty. Bartusz converted the penalty and Balázs Megyeri only managed to get a hand on the powerful shot (1-0). In the final minutes, DVSC tried everything but couldn’t equalize, and thus bowed out of the cup competition.

The next league match will be at the home of Ferencváros on Sunday.

According to the coach

Aurél Csertői: It was an exciting match, both teams had their chances. I think that we deserved to qualify to the next round.

Tibor Dombi: The first 10-15 minutes were quite okay, but as the positive moments did not come, we started to sink. In the second half, we became insecure and made a lot of mistakes. I felt like we were dragging each other down with these. We are low and we could not move up.

MOL Hungarian Cup, for a spot among the top 16.

Mezőkövesd-DVSC 1-0 (0-0).

Mezőkövesd, 2000 spectators. Referee: Zierkelbach P.

Mezőkövesd: Deczki – Horváth K. (Bányai, 71.), Bora, Kállai – Krausz, Posztobányi (Jova, 71.), Vajda (Illés, 81.), Varjas, Zachán – Szalai, Bartusz (Ináncsi, 91.). Head coach: Aurél Csertői.

DVSC: Megyeri – Stojkovic (Shaghoyan, 83.), Batik, Lagator, Ferenczi – Szuhodovszki (Silue, 83.), Szűcs T. – Szécsi, Dzsudzsák, Domingues (Vajda, 69.) – Bárány. Interim head coach: Tibor Dombi.

Goal: Bartusz (79., from penalty).

Yellow card: Kállai (59.), Zachán (64.) as well as Szűcs T. (74.), Silue (87.).