Dramatic struggle ended without a winner

10. 06. 2009 |  

It was beautiful to watch the enthusiasm and self-confidence of the Boleslav players with which they invaded the grass of the most modern domestic arena. Chramosta started an attack along the right-hand side and surprised the goalkeeper Vaniak from an impossible angle in the 5^th minute - a pestering Papadopulos provided the assist - 0:1.

Fořt tried to return an apparently lost centred pass in front of the Boleslav goal in the 25^th minute and Hrdlička unluckily turned it into his own net - 1:1. Slavia went on the attack after a misunderstanding between Poláček and Sylvestre in the 34^th minute, but Procházka stopped the effort of the home players.

Sylvestre finished some excellent attacking build up play with Papadopulos as his coolly taken header found the Slavia goal in the 36^th minute - 1:2 which is how the first half score ended.

Hrdlička's return ball to Miller four minutes after the break played the Boleslav goalkeeper into trouble and his hurried clearance fell to Trapp who's attempt to score from a long distance was, fortunately for Boleslav, too high.

The Boleslav team made a successful quick counter-attack in the 60^th minute when Chramosta drove into the Slavia penalty area before passing the ball to Papadopulos who only managed to hit Vaniak with his first shot but scored from the rebound - 1:3.

The threat of a first defeat in their new arena aroused the home players and initiated the referee Příhoda to award a penalty kick against Boleslav after a duel between Rolko and Fořt. Belaid placed the ball on the spot before blasting it towards the right-hand post only to see an excellent Miller dive full lenghth to turn the shot away. However the Slavia players would not be deflated. They attacked the Boleslav goal again and again and continuously crossed the ball dangerously in front of Miller's goal.

Miller made great saves from free kicks taken by both Ivana and Hubáček but could not keep out Belaid's shot from close vicinity resulting from a pass by Janíček after a scramble in front of the Boleslav goal in the 79^th minute - 2:3. Sylvestre had an opportunity to restore the two goal cushion but after firing straight at Vaniak with his first shot failed to find the target from the rebound.

Slavia came close to an equaliser in the 85^th minute when Belaid passed the ball to Černý nicely who lobbed the goalkeeper Miller but missed the empty goal from an acute angle. Slavia were however not to be denied when in the 87^th minute Černý hit the top right-hand corner from twenty metres past the fully outstretched Miller - 3:3. The Boleslav team managed to salvage at least one point from the final Slavia onrush after being so close to all three of them for most of the match.