League Play-Off

Metallurg Stadium
Spectators: 34 (Terracing: 26, 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. Aleksey Bauman started the match with the kick off. In the 4th minute the ball was on its way in behind FC Magnitogorsk's goalkeeper Ruslan Novikov, but with the help of a sacrificing defense, he could catch the ball at the crossbar. 9 minutes into the game, Gerasim Volpin was given a yellow card after he appeared to trip an opposing player. Taganrog FC's manager was livid on the sidelines, but the referee was unmoved and gave FC Magnitogorsk the free kick. The supporters of FC Magnitogorsk booed when Taganrog FC was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 9 match minutes in a wonderful position. Gerasim Volpin didn't get a good kick on the ball. Ruslan Novikov made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Mikhail Striha in the 12th minute of play. Aleksey Bauman might have been able to make a better finish in the 14th minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Ruslan Novikov. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Aleksey Bauman ran back to his position shaking his head. Mikhail Striha blasted a shot towards the goal in the 14th minute, but the shot hit the top of the crossbar and went out without Ruslan Novikov having to make a save. Boris Lebedev could have scored with his fast shot on goal in the 18th minute of the match, but Valeriy Shichanin made a huge save. Ruslan Novikov made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Aleksey Bauman in the 22nd minute of play. After a rather tough play, FC Magnitogorsk's Serafim Voronov got a free kick in the 23rd minute. Taganrog FC's Aleksey Bauman got a good chance for a goal in the 25th minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. Ruslan Novikov stood for a superb save when he managed to get hold of Aleksey Bauman's shot from short distance in the 27th minute. After a rather tough play, FC Magnitogorsk's Vladimir Grebtsov got a free kick in the 28th minute. Thanks to some nice foot action and superb ball handling Mikhail Striha in the 29th minute a chance for a shot on goal. With an extended leg and a bit of luck Ruslan Novikov prevented the ball from getting in the gole. Ruslan Novikov made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Aleksey Bauman in the 30th minute of play. Aleksey Bauman fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 33rd minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Ruslan Novikov having to interfere. In the 35th minute Mikhail Striha shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Ruslan Novikov saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. After some careless play in the FC Magnitogorsk defense, Aleksey Bauman kicked a shot that curved into the net to the right of Ruslan Novikov. The FC Magnitogorsk fans voiced their displeasure as they felt that Ruslan Novikov should have stopped the shot. Mikhail Striha recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 46th minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. Ruslan Novikov didn't have a chance when a screaming shot from Mikhail Striha went, in the 48th minute, to the upper right corner, 0-2 was the resulting score. The crowd was extremely unhappy with the home team's performance in the first half. They were losing 0-2.

The players of the home team were most fresh-looking when they entered the field to play the second half. Irakliy Shilov was the one to do the kick off. The audience thought a goal was coming when Mikhail Striha got free with Ruslan Novikov in the 54th minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. Aleksey Bauman struck a weak shot in the 58th minute. Ruslan Novikov didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Taganrog FC. Boris Lebedev received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 65th minute. Valeriy Shichanin tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. If Boris Lebedev had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 69th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. An unexpectedly hard shot by Aleksey Bauman in the 72nd minute of play forced FC Magnitogorsk's goalkeeper Ruslan Novikov to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Mikhail Striha received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 76th minute. Ruslan Novikov tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. 0-4 became the score in the 77th minute when Aleksey Bauman elegantly shot the ball into goal just under the crossbar. Irakliy Shilov took the ball and in the 84 minute, shot a rapid shot to the right of a surprised Valeriy Shichanin. Valeriy Shichanin dived to the right, and did manage to get a hand on the shot, but it still went into the right corner making it 1-4. Irakliy Shilov sent away a hard shot on goal in the 93rd minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Valeriy Shichanin showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Irakliy Shilov in the 95th minute of the match. The FC Magnitogorsk fans had already started to leave before the final whistle blew. Taganrog FC were clearly better and deserved to take the win.