League Play-Off

Smolensk
Spectators: 35 (Terracing: 27, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) If Timofey Ledovskiy had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 4th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Oleg Emelin received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 14th minute. Roman Makhonin tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. The supporters of Nizhnevartovsk booed when Smolensk FC was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 16 match minutes in a wonderful position. Sergey Kosinskiy didn't get a good kick on the ball. Afanasiy Efimov hit a great freekick 28 minutes into the match. Sergey Patrasenko was probably a little too eager to shoot when he, in the 29th played minute, shot the ball from way out. The shot was hard, but the ball flew wide of the goal. In the 30th match minute, Nizhnevartovsk was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Afanasiy Efimov to maneuver through the defense. In the 31st match minute, Nizhnevartovsk was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Timofey Ledovskiy to maneuver through the defense. 33 minutes into the match, Smolensk FC's Oleg Emelin sent off a blazing shot straight on target, a shot that Roman Makhonin narrowly saved just below the crossbar. Marat Manoshkin showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Timofey Ledovskiy in the 42nd minute of the match. Roman Makhonin made a fantastic save in the 50th minute, when Oleg Emelin sent off a good shot on target. The score stood at 0-0 when the half time whistle went. Both sets of players seemed reasonably pleased with how the match was going.

Both teams looked relatively alert before the second half when the referee blew his whistle to tell Marat Chugainov to make the kick off. Marat Chugainov fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 54th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Marat Manoshkin having to interfere. If Timofey Ledovskiy had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 58th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Marat Chugainov sent away a hard shot on goal in the 60th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Marat Manoshkin was a little too slow when Marat Chugainov got a fine hit on the ball which went right into the goal in the 62nd minute. The score was now 0-1. Timofey Ledovskiy struck a weak shot in the 66th minute. Marat Manoshkin didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Nizhnevartovsk. After 74 played minutes Smolensk FC got a freekick which was hit by Dmitriy Voronov. Roman Makhonin made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Ivan Petuhov in the 76th minute of play. In the 77th minute, Georgiy Evtushenko hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. 80 minutes into the match, Nizhnevartovsk's goal looked a bit too open when Oleg Emelin came free, but Roman Makhonin reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. With a couple of smart ball manuevers Oleg Emelin in the 85th managed to get into a good position. With a left leg Roman Makhonin saved Nizhnevartovsk from getting behind. In the 85th match minute, Nizhnevartovsk was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Georgiy Evtushenko to maneuver through the defense. In the 88th minute of the match Smolensk FC got a corner. Nizhnevartovsk's goalie ran out to the linesman to protest the call, but the linesman resolutely pointed his flag at the cornerflag. Sergey Patrasenko ran over to the corner to take the kick. Aleksandr Baryshnikov made a great header on Smolensk FC's corner, it was just that Nizhnevartovsk's Roman Makhonin managed to reach the ball for a save. After some fancy dribbling in the 93rd minute, Timofey Ledovskiy managed to get in a good position for a shot. Nizhnevartovsk's supporters rose to their feet, but Timofey Ledovskiy was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Marat Manoshkin breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. After a rather tough play, Nizhnevartovsk's Afanasiy Efimov got a free kick in the 97th minute. The supporters of Smolensk FC booed when Nizhnevartovsk was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 98 match minutes in a wonderful position. Marat Chugainov didn't get a good kick on the ball.