Slovakia round-up: Zilina struggle to victory

MŠK Zilina struggled to a 1-0 win against FK ZTS Dubnica, while MŠK Ruzomberok triumped at AŠK Inter Bratislava on Saturday.

Mintál saves Zilina
The league-leaders looked set for a frustrating day in wintery conditions at the Pod Dobnum stadium in Zilina until Marek Mintál stole in to score a 75th-minute winner against struggling Dubnica to take a five-point lead at the top of the Slovakian 1. Liga table.

Drama in Bratislava
There was high drama at the AŠK Inter Slovnaft Bratislava stadium where Ruzomberok earned a spectacular 3-2 win against Inter to leave the two sides level in third place. The visitors raced into a 3-0 half-time lead through Vladimír Helbich's 15-metre effort, Petr Jurco's header and Daniel Kozmel's shot from eight metres, but the home side stormed back in the second half.

Ruzomberok hang on
Miroslav Drobnák turned a cross into the net and Radek Oprsal buried a rebound to slash the deficit inside five minutes of the restart but the visitors held on for the remaining 40 minutes to secure a valuable win in their first competitive game of 2002.

Draws aplenty
Elsewhere, struggling 1.FC Košice threw away a commanding half-time advantage to draw 2-2 at home with mid-table ŠKM Matador Púchov but FC Tatran Prešov could not takle advantage of their slip-up as they drew 2-2 at sixth-placed FK Dukla Trencín. Marek Bubenko and Sergei Zajtsev responded to Martin Fabus's opener to put the visitors a goal up at the break but Fabus headed his second with 18 minutes remaining to earn a share of the spoils.