Puszcza Niepołomice promoted to Ekstraklasa! Motor Lublin up to 1 Liga! | OneFootball

Puszcza Niepołomice earned promotion to the top flight of Polish football for the first time in the club’s history on Sunday evening. They defeated Bruk-Bet Termalica Nieciecza 3-2 after extra-time to assure their place in the Ekstraklasa next season.

After defeating Wisła Kraków on Tuesday, Puszcza – who finished fifth in the 1 Liga – travelled to Nieciecza to face a Bruk-Bet Termalica side which they had been unable to beat in the regular season. After a goalless first half, they then fell behind in the opening minute of the second half to Tomas Poznar’s opener.

Within minutes, the Żółto-Zieloni had drawn level through former Arka Gdynia striker Artur Siemaszko, and just after the hour mark took the lead with an own goal from Nieciecza’s Andrej Kadlec. Muris Mesanović’s goal, nineteen minutes from time, send the play-off final to extra-time for the second year in a row.

For Puszcza, the hero of the tie was an unlikely one. Only brought on with 21 minutes remaining, for goalscorer Siemaszko as Tomasz Tułacz looked to shore up his defence, full-back Konrad Stępień rose highest to head in Tomalski’s cross. Prior to his stint in the final, Stępień had played just 271 minutes across eight games this season.

Puszcza had previously been granted a license to play in the Ekstraklasa, but under the condition that they play away from their quaint, 2,000-capacity Stadion Miejski in Niepołomice. Ironically given their semi-final opponents, they will play next season at Wisła Kraków’s Henryk Reyman stadium instead.

Prior to this season, Puszcza’s previous highest finish was an eighth-placed run in 2019/20. Their promotion also coincides with the club’s 100th anniversary.

While their ascent has not been as steep, parallels will be drawn with reigning Polish Champions Raków Częstochowa. Just like their coach Marek Papszun, when Tomasz Tułacz took charge of the club in 2015, they too were in the 2 Liga.

In the first play-off final of the day, Motor Lublin earned promotion from the 2 Liga with a penalty shootout victory over Stomil Olsztyn. Gonçalo Feio’s side drew one-apiece before going on to win 4-1 in the shootout.

Motor’s promotion means they will play in the second tier for the first time in 13 years.