Lithuanian international Artūr Dolžnikov scored a late winner to spare Slovacko from a major upset on Wednesday evening, netting five minutes from time as his side defeated fourth-tier Velka Bites 2-1 to advance to the Czech MOL Cup Round of 32.
The 26-year-old returned to action after missing Slovacko’s previous two league matches and was immediately handed a place in the starting line-up for the Czech Cup clash.
Despite the significant gap between the two sides, Slovacko found it difficult to break down the hosts. Their breakthrough finally arrived in the 37th minute when North Macedonian midfielder Tihomir Kostadinov put the top-flight side ahead.
However, Velka Bites stunned the visitors early in the second half by equalising in the 54th minute, raising hopes of one of the biggest surprises of the round.
With the match seemingly heading towards penalty-kicks, Dolžnikov stepped up in the closing stages. In the 85th minute, the Lithuanian forward found the decisive goal, restoring Slovacko’s lead and ensuring his side avoided a potential cup shock.
The goal marked Dolžnikov’s first for Slovacko since joining the club from fellow Czech top-flight side Sigma Olomouc earlier this summer. It was also his first full 90-minute appearance for the club, having now featured four times in all competitions.
Slovacko will now turn their attention back to league action, where they travel to face Viktoria Plzen on Sunday in search of their first Czech First League victory of the season.
