Dubnica looking over their shoulder

By Stanislav Hlavácek

FK ZTS Dubnica have seen their lead in the Slovakian Superleague reduced to a single point after a run of one win in four games - but their rivals have also slipped up.

Dubnica wobble
Dubnica were unbeaten in the league until 16 October when MFK Ružomberok defeated them 3-0 at home and took over top spot. However, they regained the initiative with a 4-0 victory at FK AS Trencín seven days later, and went on to draw 2-2 with both AŠK Inter Bratislava and, last Sunday, MŠK Žilina, who equalised with an 87th-minute Martin Iurica penalty. Ružomberok, meanwhile, have taken just one point from their last three outings.

Šesták on song
Žilina, chasing a fourth straight title, have improved after a slow start and lie second. Star man has been Stanislav Šesták who heads the scoring charts with ten goals from the Žilina tally of 30 - including three hat-tricks, the latest in a 4-0 win against FK Dukla Banská Bystrica. Šesták did, however, miss Slovakia's FIFA World Cup victory against Latvia earlier this month as he was getting married. Just behind, in joint-third place with Ružomberok, are FC Artmedia Bratislava, boosted by a 7-1 thrashing of FC Rimavská Sobota last weekend.

Inter recovery
Bottom club Inter have cut the gap on the nearest team, Rimavská Sobota, to six points after some promising results. They took eight games to claim their first point, but are now on a four-match unbeaten streak including a win against Banská Bystrica and three draws - coming from two down at Dubnica - to give hope to new coach Karol Brezík.

Lešický hope
Meanwhile, FC Spartak Trnava lost three times under their latest trainer, Milan Lešický, but subsequently improved remarkably, beating Artmedia 1-0 and then recovering a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 at Ružomberok and overtake perennial relegation strugglers Rimavská Sobota. They continued their good form by defeating Banská Bystrica, who have now gone eight games without winning.

Cup shocks
The Slovakian Cup second round saw a number of surprises with FK Púchov, Spartak Trnava and Ružomberok following Dubnica and Trencín, who had already been eliminated, out of the competition. Five Superleague clubs will therefore be accompanied by three second division sides in the two-legged quarter-finals over the next fortnight.