He is living the story he always dreamed of. Bálint Csóka, a product of the DAC academy, scored his first-ever top-flight goal in Sunday’s Niké League Round 11 clash away to Žilina. And it was an important one: his 48th-minute strike put DAC 2-1 ahead in a match we eventually won 3-2. The 23-year-old defender had only come onto the pitch at the start of the second half.

His journey into the first team was far from straightforward. After coming through our academy, he progressed via the club’s third-tier reserve side and second-division Šamorín before returning to the senior squad in the summer. Originally a winger, he gradually moved to right-back, but following a series of injuries, he settled on the left side of defence. That was also his position at the pod Dubňom stadium, where he made his seventh league appearance for DAC and scored his first goal. “It’s something incredible, especially in front of our fans. I’m very happy, and I can’t even put into words how grateful I am to them for celebrating with me after the match,” he admitted afterwards. He was referring to the post-match celebrations with the supporters, who chanted his name during the occasion.

Csóka replaced Modesto at half-time, with the latter making his first appearance since recovering from injury. According to Bálint, head coach Robert Klauss had emphasised that his primary responsibility was to stay back and fulfil his defensive duties. However, an opportunity arose during the match, and Bálint took full advantage. In the 48th minute, he made an excellent run behind the defence to meet Ramadan’s perfectly weighted pass and calmly finished the one-on-one by slotting the ball between Šípoš’s legs. Just three minutes had passed since he entered the game. “At half-time, the coach told me to stay back. But then I saw an opportunity to go forward. I took a good first touch and wanted to finish around the goalkeeper. In the end, the ball went into the net, and I’m happy about that,” he explained, recalling the goal.

Žilina managed to equalise twice, but it was our players who delivered the decisive blow. Ramadan scored the winner in the 71st minute, securing three hugely valuable points for DAC away from home. “It was an end-to-end game. We showed character, worked hard and kept running until the end. We are in good physical condition, and even during the final ten minutes, we stuck together. It was a collective performance. We fought for each other, and in the end, we took three points away from Žilina, which is by no means easy.”

His first league goal marks another milestone in Bálint’s career, which is only just beginning to gather momentum. Behind his journey to the top level lie years of hard work and the support of people who believed in him even when he was still striving to break into the first team. “I could dedicate this goal to many people, but above all, it belongs to my family. My mother, father, sibling, nephew, my brother-in-law Tamás, my grandmother and my loved ones. They stood by me even when I was playing in the third division. They knew where I started and how much I had to go through to make this dream come true.”

Bálint believes that hard work eventually pays off. “I think that if you give it everything, and even a little more, God will give it back to you, and football will give it back to you, too. We keep going.”

Of course, his first league goal will also come at a price in the team’s fines fund. “It’s going to cost me quite a bit,” he smiled when asked how much his maiden goal would set him back. “But that’s okay.”

The victory in Žilina was DAC’s eighth of the season. After ten matches, we remain the only unbeaten team in the league and sit five points clear at the top of the table. “It’s an incredible run. But we are ready for anything, and we keep working and fighting for the team, the club, the fans and everyone on Žitný ostrov. We’ll take it one step at a time and see what happens next. Now we’re preparing for Ružomberok. We want to win at home, that’s all,” concluded the 23-year-old, who hails from Gabčíkovo.