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Gábor Kovács's side also began their spring campaign in the South-East Group of the third division, facing a Pénzügyőr team strengthened over the winter but battling to avoid relegation. There was a debutant in the starting line-up, with 16-year-old Péter Milicz making his first competitive appearance for Honvéd II. The match was also special from the perspective of both coaches: our head coach Gábor Kovács previously played for Pénzügyőr, while the home side's technical director János Mátyus once represented Honvéd as a player.
We did not even have to wait a minute for the first chance. Mohamed Remili's corner from the left went only a few centimetres wide of our goal without a touch. We threatened immediately from the goal kick at the other end, and debutant Péter Milicz's cross from the left had to be punched away by Steer. In the 4th minute the green-shirted hosts threatened thanks to a far from deliberate move: Tamás Csilus cleared from our six-yard box, but the ball struck a home attacker and eventually bounced off him over the bar. We were still only in the fifth minute when Hancz controlled Gincsai's long ball and released Milicz at the right moment as he charged forward down the flank. Our left-back aimed for the near corner from a tight angle, but Steer saved. The match continued at a lively pace and not long afterwards we had another Kispest chance, developing after a shot from Gáspár. The hosts blocked the first attempt, but Földi, arriving from the left, met the loose ball first time with the inside of his foot, only to send it over. A few minutes later Menyhárt's shot went wide of the bottom-right corner. Pénzügyőr threatened again in the 34th minute, Remili firing right-footed from 17 metres over Megyeri's goal. A minute later the veteran forward was again close to our goal. Márk Megyeri offered him a shooting chance, which we blocked, while the follow-up bounced several metres over. Neither goal was seriously threatened in the closing minutes of the half, so the teams went into the break level at 0-0.
We had to wait relatively long for the first chance of the second half, when Dávid Sztankó got away from his marker and shot from 11 metres, Megyeri saving with his fingertips. We put together several attacks in the second half, but the hosts' solid defence repeatedly stopped our moves, while Pénzügyőr were unable to create a major chance either. In the 76th minute Honvéd II handed another debut to a youngster, 17-year-old Bence Kovács replacing Péter Kalocsány. The sucker punch came in the final minute of added time: Márk Megyeri beat Gincsai to Gábor Megyeri's long clearance, carried the ball inside past Vojtkó and then fired low from close range into the far bottom corner (1-0). The referee blew the final whistle immediately after the goal, so we began the spring season with defeat.
Gábor Kovács's assessment: For 93 minutes we attacked in search of victory. It was not easy; we played on a difficult surface against a team defending compactly and looking to hurt us on the counter. What they did, they did well. We could not find a solution against their defence and created few big chances. My one criticism of the team at the end was that, if we are level in the final minutes, we must not throw away that one point, because we conceded from a counterattack. Our defence was left completely open at the end and they took advantage. When you cannot win, the most important thing is not to lose. The boys did everything they could for the victory, unfortunately this is how it turned out.
What I would like to highlight is that two of our young players made their debuts, Péter Milicz and Bence Kovács. Congratulations to them, they both produced excellent performances!
The league continues on Sunday. From 11:00 on 9 March we host Kecskemét II at the Magyar Futball Akadémia.
NB III, SOUTH-EAST GROUP, ROUND 18
PÉNZÜGYŐR–BUDAPEST HONVÉD FC II. 1–0 ( 0–0 )
NAV Pasaréti úti Sports Ground, referee: András Virág
PÉNZÜGYŐR: Steer – Balázs B., Stoiacovici (Zöld, 74.), Remili (Vincze, 74.), Megyeri M., Bene, Bodnár, Soós (Huszárik, 64.), Tóth K., Labát, Sztankó. Technical director: János Mátyus
BUDAPEST HONVÉD II. Megyeri G. – Kalocsány (Kovács B., 76.), Gincsai, Csilus (Vojtkó, 64.), Milicz – Gáspár, Menyhárt (László M., 76.), Pintér – Földi (Benkő, 59.), Hancz, Kenéz (Hetyei, 15.). Head coach: Gábor Kovács
Goal: Megyeri M. (90+3.)
