FOGO Unia Leszno better than weakened BETARD Sparta

Leszno is still fighting. In the presence of over 10,000 spectators, FOGO Unia defeated BETARD Sparta 47:43.

Few expected before the match that the outcome of the match and the future of the FOGO UNIA Leszno team in the PGE EKSTRALIGA would be decided by nominated heats. It was the charges of Rafał Okoniewski who turned out to be stronger, defeating the weakened BETARD SPARTA Wrocław, missing Daniel Bewley and Tai Woffinden, 47:43. The best player of the hosts was Janusz Kołodziej (14+1 pts). In the guest team, it was Artem Laguta (10 pts).

The start of the match between FOGO UNIA Leszno and BETARD SPARTA Wrocław was delayed due to rain. The first heat started with a 15-minute delay.

Emotions accompanied from the first heat. Artem Laguta held the 2nd position for a significant distance in the first race only to use an opportunity at the end to defeat Ben Cook. The third position was successfully defended by Bartłomiej Kowalski.

In the junior heat, the guests took the lead after the start. Jakub Krawczyk had the best start moment by far. Unfortunately, it was not much use as Damian Ratajczak, returning to the lineup, confidently won. The FOGO UNIA Leszno player demonstrated fantastic riding, moving from third position to become the leader.

In heat 4, Jakub Krawczyk executed a fantastic charge, defeating Damian Ratajczak after the start, avenging the defeat in the junior heat. The BETARD SPARTA Wrocław youth also aimed to defeat the more experienced Janusz Kołodziej, but the host captain gave no chances to his younger track mate.

We began the second series with a dangerous situation on the track. Laguta tried to move to the first position but during a bold attempt, he was pulled towards the inflatable barrier. The rider managed to evacuate from the motorcycle. In the heat’s rerun, the hosts closed the point gap with the Wrocław team.

In the highlight pair encounter, in heat 7, Janusz Kołodziej was better. The rider brought home Maciej Janowski behind him. The hosts won 4:2 in this heat, thus equalizing the match score.

At the start of the third series of heats, Artem Laguta impressed with an atomic start, confidently speeding to three points. The young Mikkel Andersen, only 16 years old, demonstrated fantastic riding, bravely defending the second position. All attempts by Grzegorz Zengota were to no avail.

The fourth series began with a strong showing from the hosts’ pairing Benjamin Cook and Janusz Kołodziej, who doubled their rivals, keeping FOGO UNIA Leszno in the fight for the match win and extending their chances to stay.

Jakub Krawczyk had a good day. In his third ride, he finally secured three points to his name. His excellent riding was recognized by the coach, allowing him to participate in the first nominated heat. Fantastic feelings accompanied the last race of the regular round. The lineup of stars (Kołodziej, Laguta, Zengota, Janowski) provided incredible emotions. Heat 13 ended with a win for the extraordinarily fast Janusz Kołodziej today. The team win for Leszno gave us a draw before the nominated heats.

Amazing performance by FOGO UNIA Leszno in the nominated heats secured the overall match win. This victory extended Leszno’s hopes of staying in the PGE Ekstraliga. Ultimately, the double win in heat 14 and the draw in heat 15 gave the hosts a 47:43 victory.

Full results available HERE.

Łukasz Kolski