Win against Slaven Belupo was difficult, Emem Eduok admits

Nigeria international Emem Eduok has admitted that Hajduk Split’s 2-1 win over Slaven Belupo was a tough game.
Hajduk’s pursuit of Champions League qualification received a boost on Friday, as they reclaimed second spot in the Prva HNL after a hard-fought victory against the Koprivnica side at Stadion Poljud.
Goals from Mijo Caktas and Eduok helped Igor Tudor’s men end a two-game losing streak — and move ahead of fellow Champions League football-chasing Rijeka, Osijek and Lokomotiv Zagreb.
Caktas sent goalkeeper Antonio Jezina the wrong way from the penalty spot in the tenth minute — following a handball incident — to give the hosts the lead.
Slaven deservedly pulled level with Vinko Medjimorec’s long range strike 15 minutes later.
But Eduok reclaimed the Whites’ lead on the hour-mark when he rose highest to connect with Leon Kreković’s cross — to end a five-game goal drought. Jezina attempted to keep out the 26-year-old’s header, but in the end fumbled the ball over the line.
On the stroke of 90 minutes, though, the Pharmacists were given a chance to win a point after a VAR review spotted an infringement in the Hajduk box.
Brazilian forward Mateus, however, blew away the chance — as he fired his penalty wide.
After the game, a visibly-relieved Eduok — whose goal against Split took his season’s league goal tally to ten — acknowledged the importance of the win and admitted his side laboured to secure all three points.
He said: “It’s nice that we took second place again, that’s our goal. There have been bad moments, painful defeats, but we need to keep fighting and get back on the winning tracks.
“This match was a great challenge for us, but we managed to win and that is the most important thing.”