After the win over Shelbourne in the second round, Shkëndija once again played a home game, this time against Polish side Jagiellonia from the city of Białystok. The Macedonian champions had the lead, but conceded a last second equalizer.

photo by Jagiellonia Białystok SSA: Klisman Cake in duel with Leon Flach

Coach Jeton Bekjiri surprisingly bench captain and veteran striker Besart Ibraimi. He started with Baboucarr Gaye between the posts, in the defense Ronaldo Webster, tonight’s captain Klisman Cake, Imran Fetai and Aleksander Trumçi, in the midfield Adamu Alhassan, Reshat Ramadani and Arbin Zejnulai, Liridon Latifi and Sebastjan Spahiu as wingers, while Farbrice Tamba up front.

Despite Jagiellonia had the initiative, Shkëndija had the first real chance. It was in the 22nd minute when Zejnulai served Tamba on the right, but the Senegalese attacker fired wide.

The Polish side kept pushing until the break, but failed to even test Gaye.

Big blow for Shkëndija was the forced substitution just before the break when in the 41st minute Zejnulai was punched with the ball in the head and while falling down suffered a blow from a leg his teammate Alhassan. He almost lost consciousness and was immediately taken out by the medical team.

Shkëndija pressed after the break and in the 49th minute after Webster’s corner kick Latifi headed home breaking the dead lock.

As expected, the visitors started pressing, but Shkëndija defended well and used counter attacks in trying to add another goal. one such attack was in the 80th minute when substitute Besart Ibraimi fired, but Piekutowski saved. Three minutes from time Ibraimi from left found Spahiu, but he sent the ball well over the goal.

Deep in the stoppage time Jagiellonia was left with 10 men after Jesús Imaz tried to fake a penalty kick.

Still, in the very last second Sergio Lozano fired and scored an equalizer.

Highlights:

“This things happen in football. We are disappointed, but its football. Maybe we had to do something different. Probably we had to be better positioned in certain situation. However, it is what it is.” – said coach Bekjiri after the match.

With this point Shkëndija has 4 points after three rounds in the UEFA Conference League and the Tetovo based team currently lies in the play-off zone (9th to 24th place).

The next match for Shkëndija will be on 27 November against Drita from Kosovo. It will be a very short road match as the distance from Tetovo to Prishtina is only 126 km.