League Play-Off

Salavat
Spectators: 35 (Terracing: 27, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) Yakov Cheruhin made the kick off and thus started the match. Stepan Denisov received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 3rd minute. Yuriy Romankov tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. 5 minutes into the match, Salavat FC's goal looked a bit too open when Stepan Denisov came free, but Yuriy Romankov reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. If Stepan Denisov had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 6th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Vasiliy Pervyh sent away a hard shot on goal in the 8th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. With his leg Timofey Tarabrin managed to avoid a goal in the 15thth minute, when Salavat FC's Efim Timofeev fired away a shot with a lot of spin towards his right hand side. Efim Timofeev's shot was meant for the net just under the crossbar, but Timofey Tarabrin read the situation well and was quickly in position to make a wonderful save in the 20th minute of play. When Efim Timofeev fell near the penalty area in the 24th minute he thought he would be awarded a free kick. The referee ignored Salavat FC's protests and gave Efim Timofeev a yellow card for diving instead. After 26 played minutes Ekaterinburg got a freekick which was hit by Stepan Denisov. A collision led to Salavat FC getting a freekick after 28 minutes play. Semen Titochenko hit a great ball. In the 35th minute of the match, Yakov Cheruhin tried to roll the ball into the goal by the right post, but Timofey Tarabrin saw his intentions and got control of the ball before it passed the line. Ekaterinburg's Timofey Tarabrin proved his good apprehension of play when he, in the 36th minute of the match, managed to save Ekaterinburg from getting a goal against them. Efim Timofeev fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 38th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Timofey Tarabrin having to interfere. The first half was very even, with the score at 0-0 when the whistle went for half-time. The players welcomed the break and quickly retired to the dressing rooms.

Yuriy Romankov made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Dmitriy Eiduk in the 53rd minute of play. Vasiliy Pervyh received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 56th minute. Yuriy Romankov tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. Vasiliy Pervyh might have been able to make a better finish in the 58th minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Yuriy Romankov. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Vasiliy Pervyh ran back to his position shaking his head. Yakov Cheruhin sent away a hard shot on goal in the 70th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Ekaterinburg's Timofey Tarabrin played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Efim Timofeev in the 71st minute of play. Stepan Denisov sent away a hard shot on goal in the 76th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. After 79 played minutes, Salavat FC's Vyacheslav Fomenko shot from a long distance, and at first it looked like the ball was going into the goal, but the goalkeeper Timofey Tarabrin came through and got his fingers on the ball before it flew over the goal line. He then quickly gripped the ball tighter before the forwards in Salavat FC reached it. In the 82nd minute, Efim Timofeev left the goalkeeper for dead before tapping the ball into the right side of the net. The Salavat FC fans were clearly happy with the effort and the scoreboard reflected the new score: 1-0. Nikifor Tatarov's late challenge caught a Salavat FC's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Nikifor Tatarov helped the player get up and apologised. The supporters of Salavat FC booed when Ekaterinburg was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 85 match minutes in a wonderful position. Nikifor Tatarov didn't get a good kick on the ball. After a defensive mix-up in Salavat FC's zone, Vasiliy Pervyh stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Yuriy Romankov came out of the goal and Vasiliy Pervyh tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. After 93 minutes of play, Ekaterinburg's Vasiliy Pervyh made it 1-1 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Yuriy Romankov was left in no man's land by his defense there! A collision led to Salavat FC getting a freekick after 97 minutes play. Vyacheslav Fomenko hit a great ball. Salavat FC succeeded in salvaging a draw, even though Ekaterinburg had controlled the match.