In the Round of 64 of the STS Polish Cup, Lechia Gdańsk defeated Pogoń Grodzisk Mazowiecki 1:0 and secured a spot in the next round. Head coach John Carver shared his thoughts after the match.

The coach commented on the game as follows:

We knew and we were fully aware that it would be a tough match against a very good team. I think we controlled the game more or less until the 75th minute. What pleases me the most is the fact that players who hadn’t had much playing time so far finally got it. This is very important for the team and the club to move forward. It was extremely difficult for both teams to play on this pitch, but I think we managed it as best as we could. We advanced to the next stage of the cup, and that’s what counts in the end.

I would also like to wish all the best to coach Stokowiec, who is a very decorated coach at Lechia. I am the Lechia coach now, so it was very nice talking to him. I wish him all the best for the rest of the season. Who knows, maybe given their position, his team will get promoted to the Ekstraklasa and we’ll meet again next year.

Aleksander Ćirković played the full match for Lechia. Is the midfielder ready to start league games from the first minute?

I think he played very well. I’m pleased he lasted the full 90 minutes. We know his abilities and talent, but of course, since he hasn’t played much before, we had to manage his playing time. We also need to keep in mind that in 48 hours we have another match. We’ll see if he can recover by then. The way he played and what lies ahead of him excites me a lot.

At halftime, Ivan Zhelizko left the field:

Just before the end of the first half, he twisted his ankle. Either way, we had planned to substitute him, so now we’ll get back to the hotel and diagnose what’s wrong. I hope everything will be fine.

Lechia fielded a different lineup for the Polish Cup game. What about the match in Kielce?

To be honest, we’ve just finished the cup game, and on the way back to the hotel we’ll start thinking about the Korona match. That’s the general problem when playing every three days. I’m used to it because of where I’ve been in the past. Our players have to and want to get used to it as well, because it’s a great feeling.

A large group of fans from Gdańsk came to Pruszków:

This is proof of why a professional approach to this match was so important, and I think we showed that.

Which opponent does the coach expect in the next round?

Give me a home game, that’s all I ask! (laughs) That would be the best, to play in Gdańsk.