Ubong Ekpai Scores First Goal of the Season in České Budějovice’s 2-1 Defeat to Slovácko

Ubong Ekpai scored his first goal of the season for České Budějovice, but it wasn’t enough to avoid a 2-1 loss to Slovácko in the 25th round. Despite a promising equaliser from the Nigerian forward, mistakes at the back allowed Slovácko to regain the lead early in the second half. The result leaves the South Bohemians still struggling with their form, particularly away from home.

České Budějovice continued to struggle after a 2-1 loss to Slovácko in the 25th round. The team made mistakes at the back, leading to both goals for Slovácko. Sinyavskij scored first for the home team, then Ubong Ekpai equalised for České Budějovice, but Klíma scored just after the break to give Slovácko the lead again.

Ekpai, who joined the club on a one-year contract on 19 September 2024, scored his first goal of the season. This was his first league goal since November 2021, when he played for Slavia Prague.

The match began with both teams showing solid play. Early on, České Budějovice tested Slovácko’s goalkeeper Heča, with Ekpai coming close to scoring after a corner. Slovácko’s attack was slow to build, with Klíma’s shot blocked in the 17th minute. The breakthrough came when České Budějovice goalkeeper Andrew was penalised for handling the ball outside the area. Sinyavskij calmly scored into an empty net to give Slovácko the lead.

The visitors responded in the final minutes of the first half, with Ekpai scoring a well-timed header from a cross by Havelka to level the score at 1-1. It was Ekpai’s first goal for the club and a brief moment of hope for the South Bohemians.

However, the key moment of the match came in the 50th minute. Ekpai had a chance saved by Heča, but a defensive mix-up between Andrew and Kone in the penalty area allowed Klíma to score with a simple tap-in, putting Slovácko ahead once again.

Despite creating some pressure in the final 20 minutes, including chances for Polanský and Havelka, České Budějovice could not find an equaliser. The 2-1 defeat extended their winless run away from home in the league to 40 matches.

This defeat also means that Slovácko has not lost to České Budějovice in their last 10 league encounters.