Hajduk secure first-leg lead

HNK Hajduk Split secured the narrowest of leads in the first leg of the HNS Kup final, winning 1-0 away to NK Uljanik.

Strong start
Uljanik, the first second-division side to reach the Cup final in Croatian history, defeated NK Osijek and NK Kamen Ingrad Velika in the quarter- and semi-finals respectively, began brightly and came close to taking the lead in the first half as Igor Zikovic's surprise shot from the right-hand edge of the penalty area hit the right-hand post.

Decisive goal
However, Hajduk scored what proved to be the only goal of the game five minutes after half-time, as an Almir Turkovic pass freed Nino Bule inside the Uljanik penalty area and his right-foot shot found the net.

Near miss
The home side refused to concede defeat and continued to push forward, with Davor Lasic's 20-metre shot that went narrowly wide the closest they came to an equaliser.   

'We did most of the work'
"We did 90 per cent of the work, I think," said Hajduk coach Zoran Vulic. "But we have 90 minutes more at home in Split and we must be careful. We were better the team and we deserved to win in the first game."

'We missed chances'
"We know that we're playing against strong Hajduk and it was a tough game, but we missed several good chances," said Kristijan Dadic, Uljanik's captain. "We could get a tie from this game. It's not over yet, but Hajduk have a big advantage."

Second leg
The second leg match is scheduled for 4 June in Split.