Malopolska take pole position

Hosts triumphant
The hosts of intermediary round Group 6 came up trumps in Brzesko after a goalless first half to claim a place in the final round of the blue-riband tournament for amateur footballers to be played next June at a venue yet to be decided.

Drag scores
The first period saw good chances at both ends but the Polish side came closest when Robert Drag rattled the post with a 20th-minute shot. And it was Drag who opened the scoring nine minutes after the break, heading home a right-wing corner.

Kwater finish
Six minutes later, a Jochen Hartmann own goal allowed Malopolska to double their lead, and although the German visitors pressed to get back into the game in the closing stages, the hosts held firm, adding a third goal after 87 minutes through Marcin Kwater's header from a Rafat Bryl cross.

'Very happy'
"I am very happy that we won the tournament," said Malopolska coach Michal Królikowski. "It was a difficult match. The Regions' Cup is a very good idea as it gives an opportunity for regional teams to play international matches. We want this competition to thrive in future."

'The better team won'
Südwestdeutscher coach Heinz-Jürgen Schlösser had no complaints, saying: "The better team won. The Poles were fitter and better organised than us. This tournament has been run to a high standard, with no problems. We played against good and fair teams."

Stanojevic hat-trick
In Thursday's other match in Wolbrom, Eastern Serbia earned their first group win with a comfortable 4-1 success against FC Femida Beylagan of Azerbaijan. Dragan Stanojevic scored a hat-trick for the Serbo-Montenegrin side with Azar Mehdiyev on target for Femida.

Congenial atmosphere
The mini-tournament was the first of the 2004/05 Regions' Cup, and was declared a huge success by all. To add to the congenial atmosphere, the Malopolska Regional Football Association invited the Group 6 participants to attend a UEFA Champions League qualifying tie on Wednesday.

Wisla sizzler
Thus, Polish champions Wisla Kraków had a few extra supporters as they consolidated their 8-2 win at FC WIT Georgia with a 3-0 home victory. The fabulous atmosphere at that game had its parallels in a happy tournament for the amateur sides.

Ukraine calling
All the participants received special souvenirs marking UEFA's Jubilee and also received mementos from the local organising committee. The next action in the Regions' Cup, intermediary round Group 5, will take place from 22-26 August in Ukraine.