League Play-Off

Blagoveshchensk
Spectators: 34 (Terracing: 26, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) It was fairly windy and cold on the field when Sergey Novikov kicked off to start the match. Stepan Shergin struck a weak shot in the 3rd minute. Efim Milovidov didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Almetyevsk FC. 4 minutes into the game, Aleksandr Parhalin was given a yellow card after he appeared to trip an opposing player. Blagoveshchensk HC's manager was livid on the sidelines, but the referee was unmoved and gave Almetyevsk FC the free kick. In the 6th minute Sergey Novikov shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Polikarp Esenin saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. The long shot by Anatoliy Kryukov in the 12th minute really tested Polikarp Esenin's skills. The ball was on its way into the goal to the left of him when he managed to stretch himself and save the shot and avoid a goal. After some fancy dribbling in the 14th minute, Yaroslav Titov managed to get in a good position for a shot. Blagoveshchensk HC's supporters rose to their feet, but Yaroslav Titov was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Polikarp Esenin breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. In the 19th minute Aleksandr Kalashnikov shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Efim Milovidov saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Sergey Novikov struck a weak shot in the 25th minute. Polikarp Esenin didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Blagoveshchensk HC. Aleksandr Kalashnikov might have been able to make a better finish in the 33rd minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Efim Milovidov. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Aleksandr Kalashnikov ran back to his position shaking his head. Blagoveshchensk HC's Efim Milovidov played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Stepan Shergin in the 38th minute of play. Stepan Shergin received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 40th minute. Efim Milovidov tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. When Sergey Novikov came up free with the goalie in the 43rd minute, the Blagoveshchensk HC fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Sergey Novikov couldn't finish the play. After 47 played minutes Almetyevsk FC got a freekick which was hit by Vladimir Mazurov. Yaroslav Titov was really disappointed when he shot the ball just outside the right post instead of scoring a goal in the 48th minute. Blagoveshchensk HC's manager could be seen on the sidelines shaking his head and muttering to himself as his team had just wasted another chance. The home fans were very happy to see their team leading 1-0 at half-time.

In the 63rd minute, Aleksandr Kalashnikov made a precise shot to the right of Efim Milovidov. Blagoveshchensk HC's defense was at fault, and the scoreboard reflected the new score, 1-1. In the 67th minute, Lavrentiy Bodrov hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Yaroslav Titov scored 2-1 in the 68th match minute with a shot that went into the goal to the right of Polikarp Esenin, who was just a little too slow in reacting to the shot. After 74 played minutes Blagoveshchensk HC got a freekick which was hit by Vadim Schegodskiy. Gleb Fedoseev received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 79th minute. Polikarp Esenin tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. After 82 played minutes Almetyevsk FC got a freekick which was hit by Artur Yarkovoy. In the 83rd minute Yaroslav Titov shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Polikarp Esenin saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Yaroslav Titov's shot was meant for the net just under the crossbar, but Polikarp Esenin read the situation well and was quickly in position to make a wonderful save in the 92nd minute of play. In the 93rd minute Sergey Novikov shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Polikarp Esenin saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Ippolit Grusha's shot was meant for the net just under the crossbar, but Polikarp Esenin read the situation well and was quickly in position to make a wonderful save in the 97th minute of play. The referee blew his whistle, and the match came to a close. The players exchanged shirts and headed down the tunnel. The Blagoveshchensk HC fans cheered their team off the field, for while Almetyevsk FC had put up a good fight, they were unable to come out of the game with any points to show for their effort.