Club Friendly· Season 2026
Dubnica beat Valasske Mezirici 6–4 in a pre-season friendly thanks to Oleksander Plokhožnik's hat-trick, rallying from 3–1 down.
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow It Unfolded
The match exploded into life from the opening minute. Valasske Mezirici took the lead 57 seconds in when Šimon Kratochvil finished from close range after a left-wing rush (assists: Matouš Kratochvil, Marek Melenovský). Dubnica equalised 47 seconds later through Oleksander Plokhožnik's rebound put-back (Šimon Bečar), but the hosts soon took control.
Šimon Frömel (04:03, assists: Adam Burian, Daniel Klímek) and Jan Svoboda (05:40, assist: Frömel) struck within 97 seconds to make it 3–1, the latter finishing from the left circle after Frömel forced a turnover. Dubnica pulled one back on the power play through Jakub Beňačka (08:38, Martin Jakúbek, Andrej Legalin) before Plokhožnik struck again with 17 seconds left in the period to make it 3–3 through a defensive miscommunication (assist: Dávid Gengel, Šimon Bečar).
The second period followed a similar momentum-shifting pattern. Michael Vavřík (22:58, Jan Svoboda) restored Valasske's lead on a fast break, but Radoslav Tybor (23:09, Juraj Bezúch) equalised just 11 seconds later — the quickest response of the night. The decisive blow came at 36:38 when Plokhožnik completed his hat-trick, finishing a textbook three-pass combination set up by Gengel and Legalin to give Dubnica its first lead of the match at 4–5.
The third period produced only one goal: Tybor's second of the game at 50:10, a forehand deke and finish that stretched Dubnica's lead to 6–4. Valasske pulled goaltender Kryštof Ševců with 90 seconds left and earned a late power play but could not find the net.
The Turning Point
Plokhožnik's third goal at 36:38 of the second period. For the first 37 minutes the match had seesawed with neither team holding a two-goal cushion, but the Ukrainian forward's hat-trick strike — finishing a slick tic-tac-toe passing move from Gengel and Legalin — gave Dubnica a lead they never surrendered. Valasske's attacking verve dried up in the third period, managing only a handful of dangerous chances despite pulling the goaltender.
Key Performers
Oleksander Plokhožnik (Dubnica) — 3 goals. The Ukrainian forward scored in the 2nd, 20th and 37th minutes, each time punishing Valasske defensive lapses. His hat-trick was the match's decisive individual contribution.
Radoslav Tybor (Dubnica) — 2 goals, including the insurance marker at 50:10. The veteran Slovak forward showed composure in close quarters, scoring once on a quick turnaround shot and once on a forehand deke.
Šimon Frömel (Valasske Mezirici) — 1 goal, 1 assist. The most dangerous Valasske forward, involved in the burst that briefly made it 3–1. Also hit the post in the second period.
Jan Svoboda (Valasske Mezirici) — 1 goal, 1 assist. Produced a clever finish from the left circle and set up Vavřík's go-ahead goal early in the second.
Player of the match: Oleksander Plokhožnik (Dubnica)
By the Numbers
The scoreline does not fully capture the match's shape. Valasske scored three times in the first six minutes of the game (0:57, 4:03, 5:40) but managed only one goal in the remaining 54 minutes — and none in the final 37 minutes after Plokhožnik's go-ahead goal. Dubnica, by contrast, struck four times in the second half of the match (36:38, 23:09, 50:10, plus Tybor's equaliser). The match featured 10 goals on what appeared to be a combined 60+ shot attempts, typical of early-season defensive looseness.
What It Means
This was Valasske Mezirici's third pre-season friendly; they had lost 1–7 to Kroměříž and suffered a heavy defeat in Poland against Bytom previously. Dubnica's first pre-season test yielded a confidence-building comeback win. The two sides meet again for a return leg on 1 September 2026 in Dubnica nad Váhom.
Verdict
A wildly entertaining pre-season affair that exposed both teams' defensive fragilities and rewarded Dubnica's persistence. Plokhožnik's hat-trick was the difference, while Valasske will rue their inability to capitalise on a 3–1 lead built inside six minutes.
Match Events
Key match events between Valasske Mezirici and Dubnica — 10 goals and 0 cards recorded during the match.
M. Melenovsky
D. Klimek
A. Legalin
S. Becar
A. Legalin
Rivalry since 2019
Valasske Mezirici vs Dubnica Head to Head Results· 2
Valasske Mezirici and Dubnica have met 2 times — Valasske Mezirici won 1, Dubnica won 1, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2019. A combined 9 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 4.50 per match (7 for the home side, 2 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 1 match (50%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 2 games (100%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 0–6 in 2026.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 27 Aug 2026