League Play-Off

Stadion Abakan
Spectators: 35 (Terracing: 27, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) Dark clouds were building up when the players entered the field. None of the them looked very eager to play. Eldar Gams started the match with the kick off. Efim Kapralov sent away a hard shot on goal in the 4th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. In the 8th minute, Boris Osipov hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. 10 minutes into the game, Eldar Gams recieved a splendid long ball, split the defenders, and gently placed the ball to the left of Vyacheslav Zvezdin. Eldar Gams showed that you don't have to tear a hole in the net to score, 1-0. In the 14th minute, Kirill Pavluhin got an opportunity to score, but he didn't get a solid hit on the ball and ended up kicking it wide of the goal. After 22 minutes, Petr Belyankin mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Arzamas and the Abakan players grew even worse after the yellow card. A collision led to Arzamas getting a freekick after 22 minutes play. Petr Belyankin hit a great ball. 23 minutes into the match, Abakan's Zinoviy Muradov broke free and took a long shot that unfortunately flew wide. A fine initiative that could have resulted in a goal. If Petr Gorchakov had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 26th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Nikolay Rodionov showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Kirill Pavluhin in the 29th minute of the match. The audience was convinced that Efim Kapralov's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Nikolay Rodionov was relentless in the 30th minute of the game. In the 37th minute, Arzamas's goalie took a deep sigh of relief after Eldar Gams fired away a hard shot that went just outside the left post. Eldar Gams blasted a shot towards the goal in the 41st minute, but the shot hit the top of the crossbar and went out without Vyacheslav Zvezdin having to make a save. Kirill Pavluhin struck a weak shot in the 42nd minute. Nikolay Rodionov didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Arzamas. 47 minutes into the match, Kirill Pavluhin notched a goal, 1-1, to the right of Abakan's Nikolay Rodionov. Nikolay Rodionov was clearly disgusted with the effort of the defense and let the defenders know about it. After a very even first half the match was still tied. The players went to their respective dressing rooms to discuss the tactics for the second half.

When the second half was about to start, both teams quickly lined up and Efim Kapralov made a kick off. If Eldar Gams had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 58th minute. The ball went over the crossbar instead. Petr Gorchakov's late challenge caught a Arzamas's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Petr Gorchakov helped the player get up and apologised. After a rather tough play, Abakan's Petr Gorchakov got a free kick in the 60th minute. With a little luck, Abakan's Nikolay Rodionov got control of the ball when Efim Kapralov tried to sneak it across the goal line. When Arzamas's Efim Kapralov in the 76th minute got a chance for a shot 76th didn't hesitate and placed the ball to the right of the goalie. A beautiful save bye Abakan's goalie prevented a goal. 83 minutes into the match, Arzamas's goal looked a bit too open when Eldar Gams came free, but Vyacheslav Zvezdin reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Petr Gorchakov sent away a hard shot on goal in the 86th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. When Petr Gorchakov came up free with the goalie in the 94th minute, the Abakan 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 Petr Gorchakov couldn't finish the play. The Arzamas players were the happier at the end of the match as they had prevented Abakan from taking control. The game ends in a draw.