(BATE substitute Milic came off the bench to seal an eight-goal thriller against Smolevichy-STI and send them to the top of the table as a result)
Sunday saw Round Eight completed with four games, and it began with Isloch hosting bottom side Belshina:-
Isloch 2 Belshina 1
Goals from Yanushkevich and Yasane saw hosts Isloch to an unconvincing won over bottom side Belshina. The hosts did ok in the opening half hour and saw two efforts chalked off for offside, but eleven minutes before the break they did make one count as Yanushkevich saw his header hit the post and rebound back off the keeper and into the net. Belshina then had decent spells either side of the break and did have chances prior to the hosts taking the lead, but seven minutes into the second period they fell further behind when Yansane ran onto a through ball and lofted beyond the keeper to double his sides advantage. The visitors, who had only picked up two points from their seven games so far, continued to try and find a way back into a game they probably felt they shouldn’t be behind in, and they gave themselves hope with five minutes to go when a cross was tuened into his own net by defender Papush. They could not muster up a leveller though and it means Isloch go into fifth spot and the visitors remain bottom of the table. Had Belshina had a cutting edge going forward, the result would most likely have gone their way, but it is another defeat for them.
So onto Game Two, and it saw Vitebsk hosting Shakhtyor in a mid-table clash: -
Vitebsk 0 Shakhtyor 0
Neither side could find the net in this one as it ended goalless. Both had come into this contest having won three of their seven league games thus far, although neither had scored many so far and were around the one goal a game mark. The first half saw few chances it has to be said, and whilst the second half saw more chances, with the visitors looking the most likely to find the net, it was the same story with neither side able to find that breakthrough. The visitors did have to play out the final few minutes a man light after Khadarkkevich was given a second yellow for a foul outside his own box, but despite some late hosts pressure, the game ended with no goals and a point a piece for both sides.
Not a classic by any means that one, so we hoped for more in the next game which saw second bottom side Smolevichy-STI against last year’s runners up BATE who were looking to go top with a win, and it proved to be an absolute classic:-
Smolevichy-STI 3 BATE 5
Substitute Milic came off the bench to net a brace which finally decided this epic contest and sent visitors BATE to the summit of the division on goal difference. Most expected a comfortable and routine away win, the hosts sat second bottom with just three points from their seven games whilst BATE knew a win would take them top, but inside the opening minute they were stunned as Smolevichy took a shock lead after a cross saw Barsukov side foot a super first time effort into the top corner. BATE though responded in the best possible way and levelled twelve minutes later when Skavysh burst into the box and fired home, and just two minutes after that they turned it around when Stasevich headed home at the back post. And nine minutes before the break BATE increased their advantage as Baga powered home a header from a corner after the home keeper had tried to come and claim the cross, and you felt at half time they were now in total control of this contest and could go on and win by a decent margin. However, this was not to be the case, and BATE were left stunned again as the hosts fought back, firstly reducing the arrears ten minutes after the break when a ball back across goal was nodded home by Schegikovich, and then eight minuets later a stunning long range effort from Morelle thumped the inside of the post and into the net to bring the hosts level at 3-3!!! You thought surely the home side would not go on and win this one now, it would have been a remarkable result had they done so, but BATE regrouped once again and saw substitute Milic rise to glance home a free-kick with ten minutes to go to restore their lead, and then deep into stoppage time finally put this one to bed when Milic broke through to loft beyond the keeper and send his side to the summit of the league. A truly wonderful game of football this was, and both sides deserve a lot of credit for entertaining us all. Marvellous
So after a truly wonderful contest, last years Champions Dinamo Brest hosted Dinamo Minsk in Sunday evenings showdown having to try and follow that, but this was a decent game as well even if it didn’t have as many goals to show for it, here is what happened:-
Dinamo Brest 2 Dinamo Minsk 1
Hosts Dinamo Brest saw an early second half header from Laptev seal a decent battle against Dinamo Minsk in the final game of Round Eight to take them sixth and only three points off the leaders. Brest, who won the league last season ahead of BATE, have had an indifferent start to this campaign, but knew a win could get them close to the leaders in what is a tight division, and they had the perfect start when a ball into the six yard box in the fifth minute saw Minsk defender Brucic put through his own net under pressure from striker Milevski who would of tapped home had the defender not been there anyway. It should of got even better for the hosts midway though the half but Laptev somehow missed from ten yards out, and this was compounded moments later as Minsk went up the other end and saw Danilo slot home under the keeper, and the game was all square instead. This gave the visitors, who had also had a similar start to their opponents this season, confidence and it gave way to a rather niggly end to the first half as tackles and fouls totted up. Early in the second period though came the winning moment and it’s one the visitors keeper will want to forget as a fairly harmless ball into the box six minutes after the break saw him come and get nowhere near the ball, and it allowed Laptev to get ahead of him and nod into the empty net. Minsk did their best to try and find a levelled but the hosts could easily of sealed it late on as well, but in what was a hard fought contest the hosts won out and leaves Minsk fourth bottom as a result.
Well that concluded all the action from Sunday and saw Round Eight completed. Below is how the table looks after the weekend’s action: -
It is certainly a tight looking table, with only eight points between leaders BATE and third bottom Neman Grodno, so a win for anyone could see their positions improved dramatically if results went their way. Exciting stuff!!!
Round Nine begins next Friday with two games, here is a full schedule for next weekend: -
Friday 15th May
Minsk Vs Neman Grodno (4pm)
Torpedo BelAZ Vs Gorodeya (6pm)
Saturday 16th May
Energetik BGU Vs Dinamo Brest (1pm)
Shakhtyor Vs Slavia (3pm)
BATE Vs Slutsk (5pm)
Sunday 17th May
Belshina Vs Vitebsk (1pm)
Dinamo Minsk Vs Isloch (3pm)
Ruh Brest Vs Smolevichy STI (5pm)
All these games can of course be watched live at https://www.youtube.com/user/abffvideo
Big game of the weekend comes on Saturday at 5pm as First hosts Second so that should be something, so looking forward to another weekend of BPL action. Until then hope you all have a good week and I’ll be back with my blogs next weekend in Round Nine.
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