Korona Kielce promoted to Ekstraklasa! | OneFootball

Jacek Kiełb scored a dramatic 119th-minute winner to send Korona Kielce back into the Ekstraklasa on Sunday evening. Korona came from behind to defeat Chrobry Głogów 3-2 in the 1 Liga play-off final.

Korona had taken the lead after eighteen minutes in Kielce, through a header from veteran striker Adam Frączczak; however, quickfire goals from Mikołaj Lebedyński and Michał Rzuchowski, seven and six minutes before the break, quickly turned the game in Chrobry’s favour, against the run of play.

Korona drew level once again, 20 minutes after the break, when Frączczak netted his second of the game from the penalty spot. He then thought he may have won promotion, with seven minutes remaining, but his hat-trick was scuppered by an offside flag.

As the game went into extra-time, Chrobry did look to have the slight edge and went close on a handful of occasions. Konrad Forenc, however, was equal to them. At the other end, one-time Polish international Rafał Leszczyński was really tested only from distance.

But just as the play-off final looked to be heading for a penalty shoot-out, Korona snatched promotion; and it could hardly come from a more deserving player. Instigating the counter attack himself, club legend Jacek Kiełb flicked the ball forward to an onrushing Jakub Łukowski, who advanced, and then cut the ball back across goal. There, Kiełb – who had made a forty-metre run – was perfectly placed to fire the ball into the roof of the Chrobry net, and send the Kielce crowd into ecstasy.

Leszek Ojrzyński’s side return to the Ekstraklasa after a two-year absence, and will join Widzew Łódź and Miedź Legnica in the top flight.

Korona Kielce – Chrobry Głogów 3:2 a.e.t. (2:2)(1:2)Adam Frączczak 18′, 64′ (pen), Jacek Kiełb 119′ – Mikołaj Lebedyński 38′, Michał Rzuchowski 39′

Korona: Konrad Forenc – Adrian Danek, Piotr Malarczyk, Kyrylo Petrov, Roberto Corral – Jacek Podgórski (Jakub Łukowski 106′), Marcin Szpakowski (Oskar Sewerzyński 46′), Dalibor Takáč (Filipe Oliveira 68′), Adam Frączczak, Dawid Błanik (Jacek Kiełb 68′) – Yevgenij Shikavka (Luka Zarandia 81′).

Chrobry: Rafał Leszczyński – Michał Ilków-Gołąb, Michał Michalec, Mavroudís Bougaḯdis, Marcel Ziemann – Mateusz Bochnak (Paweł Tupaj 84′), Robert Mandrysz, Jaka Kolenc (Mateusz Machaj 78′), Michał Rzuchowski, Dominik Piła – Mikołaj Lebedyński (Dennis van der Heijden 106′).