Poland round-up: Legia miss out as season ends

KS Groclin Grodzisk Wielkopolski and Dospel Katowice both reached the UEFA Cup qualifying round at the expense of Legia Warszawa as the Polish Ekstraklasa season drew to a thrilling conclusion tonight.

Derby victory
Groclin needed to win their derby against KS Amica Wronki to have a chance of finishing runners-up behind Wisla Kraków and they did just that, winning 1-0. The goal came on the hour when Amica defender Pawel Skrzypek inadvertently beat his own goalkeeper, Grzegorz Szamotulski, after he had saved an Andrzej Niedzielan shot.

Needed a point
Groclin ended the season with 62 points, one more than Dospel who drew 1-1 at Polonia Warszawa to finish third. Dospel needed a point to fend off Legia and they achieved that despite Lukasz Jarosiewicz's effort cancelling out Krzysztof Majda's 36th-minute opener for Dospel.

Foreign first
Legia are left to contemplate what might have been after finishing fourth with 60 points. They ended their season with a 3-1 victory at Zaglebie Lubin, who took the lead through Olgierd Moskalewicz before Stanko Svitlica, Tomasz Kielbowicz and Marek Saganowski eased Legia to maximum points. Serbian striker Svitlica ended the season with 24 goals, becoming the first foreign player to win the Polish golden boot.

Play-off to come
Zaglebie's season is not over, after finishing 12th they will feature in a promotion/relegation play-off against a team from the second division. As will Garbarnia Szczakowianka Jaworzno, who avoided direct relegation by drawing 1-1 at home to KS Górnik Zabrze. Relegated Pogon Szcecin failed to honour their fixture at KS Ruch Chorzów, who were also demoted along with KSZO Ostrowiec after they were beaten 2-1 by Widzew Lódz.

Imperious Wisla
MKS Odra Wodzislaw Slaski finished fifth after they won 1-0 at Wisla Plock, the Polish Cup finalists who will also compete in UEFA Cup qualifying. Poland's place in UEFA Champions League qualifying went to Wisla, who ended a majestic campaign with a 4-2 win at KKS Lech Poznan, Maciej Zurawski, Tomasz Frankowski and Grzegorz Pater (2) the men on target.