For Stala, the start of the 1993/94 season was not promising. After 11 rounds, with nine points on their account, they were 14th, while Warta were fifth in the league table, having four points more. After the 2-2 away draw obtained two weeks earlier in Bydgoszcz against the local Zawisza, the mood in our team was optimistic. The duel with the reigning champion was at the same time our club’s premiere match against this rival at the highest league level. However, Stal played too conservatively in the first leg, despite the fact that TVP only broadcast the second half of the game. The visitors, on the other hand, focused on playing on the counter-attack and already in the 9th minute Prabucki found himself in a one-on-one situation with goalkeeper Wyparła, but hit the ball past the post. In response, four minutes later, Ruta tried to surprise the visitors’ goalkeeper with a shot from an acute angle. In the 19th minute, after a corner kick by Barnak, Bociek made a beautiful header, but the ball hit the crossbar, much to the despair of the small Mielec crowd. Ten minutes later, however, the ball found its way to the target, but …it was our goal. Then, after a free kick taken by Gajewski, Ruta tried to kick the ball into the corner. The ball, however, bounced off the post and straight into the feet of Tomasz Iwan, later to become a national team midfielder, and the score became 0-1. The lost goal spurred the blue and white players into more composed actions. In the 35th minute, Łętocha showed off with a quick rally down the left and the ball was slotted into the net by Mielec’s captain Mariusz Barnak. The same player tried again seven minutes later to enter the scoring list, but this time his shot was very off target.
The second half was even less interesting than the first 45 minutes. Both teams were doing their homework, and the opportunities to turn the tide in their favour were counted on the fingers of one hand. On the part of Stali, just after the resumption of the game and the action of Barnak with Czyrek, there was more chaos under the goal of the Greens. The visitors created just twice as many opportunities, as they ended up with Niewiadomski’s unsuccessful attempts (52nd minute, shot into the side netting) and Prabucki’s powerful bomb (60th minute), which Mielec’s fingertips lifted onto the crossbar. Until the end of the match, the Steelers responded with two more actions. First, in the 61st minute, Ruta shot sharply from a free kick, while 10 minutes before the final whistle Tereszczenko, instead of striking directly at the rival goal, unnecessarily looked for his partners in the visitors’ penalty area.
26.09.1993 – Mielec, 12th round 1st league, FKS PZL-Stal Mielec – Warta Poznan 1-1 (1-1)
Referee: Milewski (Radom) Spectators: 1,756
Stal: Wyparło – Łętocha, Federkiewicz, Bartkowski, Kukowski (59 Tomanek), Ruta, Curzytek (75 Pilawiecki), Barnak, Tereszczenko, Bociek, Czyrek Coach: W.Karaś
Warta: Pleśnierowicz – Gajewski, Jakołcewicz, Sidorski, Pawlak, Tęsiorowski , Łapczyński (67 Owca), Prabucki, Pawelec (ż), Niewiadomski (78 Misztur), T.Iwan Coach: E.Samolczyk
Goals: Barnak 35 – T.Iwan 29 min.
To sum up, the balance of all 11 (home and away) extra-league duels between Stala and Warta is as follows – 3 wins for Stala, 4 draws, 4 defeats. The goal ratio is 7-8. The second-league struggles are 6 matches (3 wins for Stala, 1 draw, 2 defeats), in goals 6-3 for FKS. In the qualifiers for entry to the 2nd league there were two duels (2 draws, goals 2-2). In the Polish Cup, the teams of Stali and Warta have never met each other.
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