League Play-Off

Birobidzhan
Spectators: 34 (Terracing: 26, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) Volgodonsk's Artem Mihalskiy started the match with a crisp pass. The crowd had been anticipating this game for weeks and the excitement in the stadium was easily visible. In the 3rd minute, Matvey Bogoslavskiy 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 some fancy dribbling in the 5th minute, Pavel Yakovlev managed to get in a good position for a shot. Birobidzhan's supporters rose to their feet, but Pavel Yakovlev was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Pavel Klenkin breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. After a rather tough play, Volgodonsk's Nikolay Ragulskiy got a free kick in the 6th minute. When Pavel Yakovlev came up free with the goalie in the 8th minute, the Birobidzhan 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 Pavel Yakovlev couldn't finish the play. An unexpectedly hard shot by Pavel Yakovlev in the 13th minute of play forced Volgodonsk's goalkeeper Pavel Klenkin to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. In the 15th match minute, Birobidzhan was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Nikita Smagin to maneuver through the defense. After 16 played minutes, Volgodonsk's Dmitriy Bachmanov shot from a long distance, and at first it looked like the ball was going into the goal, but the goalkeeper Georgiy Denisov 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 Volgodonsk reached it. Georgiy Denisov showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Artem Mihalskiy in the 20th minute of the match. Danil Osokin fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 21st minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Georgiy Denisov having to interfere. After a rather tough play, Volgodonsk's Nikolay Ragulskiy got a free kick in the 23rd minute. Georgiy Denisov showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Danil Osokin in the 27th minute of the match. Pavel Yakovlev received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 30th minute. Pavel Klenkin tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. When Matvey Bogoslavskiy came up free with the goalie in the 31st minute, the Birobidzhan 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 Matvey Bogoslavskiy couldn't finish the play. 36 minutes into the match, Pavel Yakovlev had an open shot that he just couldn't miss and scored to the right of Pavel Klenkin. Volgodonsk's manager could be seen yelling to the referee that Pavel Yakovlev was offside, but the referee ignored the protest. 1-0. After having played for 40 minutes, Pavel Yakovlev managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Birobidzhan's supporters crossed their fingers, but Pavel Yakovlev was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. In the 41st minute Pavel Yakovlev shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Pavel Klenkin saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Nikita Smagin blasted a shot towards the goal in the 43rd minute, but the shot hit the top of the crossbar and went out without Pavel Klenkin having to make a save. The home fans were very happy to see their team leading 2-0 at half-time.

When the second half was about to start, both teams quickly lined up and Pavel Yakovlev made a kick off. Artem Mihalskiy sent away a hard shot on goal in the 59th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. If Pavel Yakovlev had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 63rd minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. After 65 played minutes Volgodonsk got a freekick which was hit by Nikolay Ragulskiy. In the 68th minute, Andrey Trofimov hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Pavel Klenkin took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Pavel Yakovlev, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. In the 75th minute, Nikolay Ragulskiy hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Pavel Klenkin showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Pavel Yakovlev, who was totally free with the ball in the 81st minute. If Danil Osokin had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 82nd minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. An unexpectedly hard shot by Pavel Yakovlev in the 88th minute of play forced Volgodonsk's goalkeeper Pavel Klenkin to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball.