After repeated incorrect information from the Turkish organisers, our team eventually faced FK Jedinstvo Bijelo Polje, eighth in the Montenegrin top flight, instead of Serbia's FK Jedinstvo Ub.
We had previously faced Montenegrin teams three times: in 2013 we convincingly beat Celik Niksic in Europa League qualifying (4-1, 9-0), while in 2022 we drew 2-2 with Arsenal Tivat in a friendly.
This time Feczkó Tamás put his trust from the start in the players who had not featured in the first half against Drita or had not played at all. Among them, 17-year-old Szabó Ákos started for the first team for the first time, while Ihrig-Farkas Sebestyén, who celebrated his 31st birthday yesterday, was also on the pitch from the opening whistle.
We created more chances than our opponents in the first half. We had to wait barely 15 minutes for the biggest opportunity, when Vernes pounced on a misplaced pass and elegantly lifted the ball over Akovic, only for it to roll a few centimetres wide of the bottom-right corner. Kispest chances then followed almost every two minutes. Holman tried his luck several times from outside the penalty area, while one of the most dangerous moments in front of the Montenegrin goal came after a cross from Ihrig-Farkas on the right, with Vernes missing the ball by the narrowest of margins. Jedinstvo had only one shot on target in the first half, but it was a memorable one, as Izridovic struck the right post with a free kick from more than 25 metres. In the final third of the half, Ihrig-Farkas threatened with a header and Holman once again tried a long-range effort, but unfortunately neither attempt found the target, so the opening period ended goalless.
The second half produced only one major chance until the closing stages, when our young player Szabó Ákos raced through one-on-one, but goalkeeper Akovic saved his clear-cut opportunity. Our opponents committed several very rough fouls, making the second half particularly tense. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries, although the referee's whistle remained silent in several questionable situations.
The action intensified late on. After a fine overlapping move, Pinte found Keresztes, who, under pressure from the defenders in white, played in Hetyei, but our forward was dispossessed in a dangerous position. Jedinstvo then had their spell: first Szabó Tibor made a superb save from Korac when he was through on goal, then we cleared a cross from the left almost off our own goal line. Unfortunately, the cold shower arrived in the 86th minute. Megyeri got a hand to Brandao's corner from the left, but Dacic reacted quickest and headed into the net from a few metres out. We did not give up in the remaining time. Keresztes tested the Montenegrin goal from a wide free kick, which was dealt with, then Szabó Ákos's shot was blocked. Pekár lifted the ball into the net after the whistle had already gone because Szabó had been fouled for a free kick. Keresztes stood over the ball, but his shot was blocked by the wall, leaving us with one final chance to score from a corner on the left. The delivery was excellent and Pekár managed to glance it on, but the ball flew just a few centimetres wide of the left post.
There was no time even for the goal kick, so we suffered a one-goal defeat against Montenegrin top-flight side Jedinstvo. Our next match, which will also be our final friendly, is against Romanian second-tier side FC Arges Pitesti on Friday.
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Side, Turkey
FK JEDINSTVO BIJELO POLJE–BUDAPEST HONVÉD 1–0 (0–0)
FK Jedinstvo Bijelo Polje: Akovic – Obradovic, Nikolic, Muzurovic, A. Cvijovic – Idrizovic, Bosnjak, Bogdanovic – Jukovic, Musovic, Komiya.
Substitutes used: Brandao, Korac, D. Cvijovic, Scepanovic, Cepic, Dacic, Sekolarac
Head coach: Sead Babaca
Budapest Honvéd: Megyeri – Csonka (Szabó T., 46.), Ene, Pekár – Szabó Á., Szamosi, Holman (Sigér, 70.), Petrók – Keresztes, Ihrig-Farkas (Hetyei.,70.), Vernes (Pinte, 70.)
Head coach: Feczkó Tamás
Goal: Dacic (86.)
You can watch the highlights of the match here:
