Unia Leszno edges Motor Lublin 46:44 in speedway bronze playoff opener

Opening series and early Lublin lead

The first leg of the bronze medal tie at Alfred Smoczyk Stadium in Leszno began 15 minutes early due to rain forecasts, with track covers removed earlier that afternoon. Visiting team Orlen Oil Motor Lublin arrived without Swedish rider Fredrik Lindgren, who missed out following a crash in the semifinal in Torun. Despite his absence, Lublin started quickly as Kacper Woryna beat home rider Ben Cook in heat one. Junior Bartosz Jaworski won heat four against Nazar Parnicki, helping Lublin build a 15:9 lead after the opening four heats. In heat three, Bartosz Zmarzlik passed Piotr Pawlicki on the third lap to secure three points.

Leszno fightback and mid-match battle

The second series produced a succession of drawn heats as Lublin defended its six-point advantage from the gates. Piotr Pawlicki claimed Leszno's first senior heat win, while Woryna continued an unbeaten run with three straight victories in his opening three rides. In heat seven, Zmarzlik set the fastest time of the meeting at 61.31 seconds. Fogo Unia Leszno shifted momentum in heat nine through a tactical substitution, when Janusz Kolodziej and Cook finished ahead of Martin Vaculik and Mateusz Cierniak. That heat advantage reduced Lublin's lead to 31:29 entering the fourth series.

Heat 12 collision and Cierniak injury

The match shifted during the first attempt at heat 12. As Mateusz Cierniak challenged Emil Konieczny, Bartosz Jaworski entered beneath them, causing Cierniak and Konieczny to tangle. Cierniak crashed heavily into the safety wall and was thrown over the barrier. Two ambulances reached the track, but Cierniak stood up and walked into an ambulance unassisted before heading to the paddock. Motor Lublin coach Maciej Kuciapa provided an update on the rider's condition after the incident.

Nothing is known yet. We are waiting for some information and that is all. Everyone saw what it looked like, the accident was terrible. The fact that he stood up and walked to the pits is already a big deal. We are waiting and will see what comes next.

Deciding heats and outlook for the rematch

Unia capitalized on Cierniak's withdrawal to secure a 46:44 victory. Nazar Parnicki led the hosts with 12 points and one bonus, while Cook scored 10 points and both Pawlicki and Kolodziej added eight. Lublin relied heavily on Zmarzlik, who tallied 17 points and one bonus, and Woryna, who contributed 13. With their lineup depleted, Lublin fielded young reserves Dawid Cepielik and Sven Cerjak in late heats. Lublin enters the return fixture in two weeks facing a two-point aggregate deficit.

Kuciapa reflected on the team's performance under depleted conditions.

As it went from the beginning, there is a bit of dissatisfaction. We could have won, but with what happened here today and without Freddy, I still think that as a team we did what we could. The fact that we pulled off such a result is real respect and I thank the boys.