(BATE's Volkov mobbed by his teammates after netting stoppage time winner at end of extra time to win Belarusian Cup Final against Dinamo Brest on Sunday)
Round Ten of the BPL has been and gone, and the first trophy has also been handed out as well, but more about that later on, however, the latest round began back on Wednesday as last years champion Dinamo Brest hosted last season’s runners up and previous 13 years champions BATE in what was also a dress rehearsal to Sunday’s Cup Final, so who would win Part One so to speak??? Lets’s find out…..
Round Ten – Wednesday 20th May
Dinamo Brest 1 BATE 3
You felt this was a big one already, the atmosphere inside the ground was loud, and both teams were looking to grab one up on their opponents prior to Sunday’s cup final. It was a big game for both, but more so for the hosts, who have had a very indifferent start to their defence of last season’s title winning campaign. BATE on the other hand were looking to put daylight between them and the chasing pack below as they chase a 14th title in 15 seasons, and in the 31st minute they grabbed the lead when Dragun headed home from a corner. But Brest, who were playing some good football themselves, levelled five minutes before the break when a super move resulted in Milevski running onto a pass and poking a super effort into the top corner, and the hosts went into the break in good spirits with the home support in fine voice. BATE though began to take control after the break and hit the post with a header, although they could of gone behind when the hosts somehow missed from point blank range, and this was immediately followed with BATE grabbing the lead with just over fifteen minutes remaining as after the keeper had parried an effort into the path of Nekhaychik, the BATE attacker side footed home. And with ten minutes left BATE sealed the points after Milic ran through and smacked an effort into the far corner from just inside the box, meaning the visitors now had a four point lead at the top whilst the hosts stay in mid table, nine points off the leaders now. So round one to the visitors, what will happen in Sunday’s final???
Round Ten – Thursday 21st May
Neman Grodno 3 Torpedo BelAZ 1
On paper this looked like being an away win, the visitors had started this season well, sitting second behind BATE and looking to close the gap back to a point after BATE’s win the previous evening. For the hosts it had been more of a struggle, they sat third bottom and four points above the bottom two, but this is football so anything can happen right? Well, Neman so nearly grabbed the lead in the first minute after a long range effort thumped off the bar, but in the tenth minute and after Neman had missed another golden chance to take the lead, Torpedo grabbed the advantage when Yusov swivelled and sent an effort across the keeper into the far corner. Neman thereafter missed countless openings to get back on level terms as the hosts looked like the team who were trying to close the gap to top spot, and finally in the 43rd minute they did draw level when Rassadkin headed home a cross at the far post. The hosts were not as dominant after the break, but they still looked the likelier to grab a winner, and with twenty minutes remaining they got their noses in front in strange circumstances. The hosts saw a header thump back off the bar and then Zabelin nod home the rebound, but their had been a foul after the first header had hit the woodwork, so after consultation with his assistant, they decided to award the penalty and disallow the goal, very odd. Thankfully for Neman though Zhukovski kept his cool to dispatch the penalty, via the hand of the keeper, and the hosts did have the lead. Had Neman missed it would of summed up their luck in this game, but they didn’t so they did have the lead they deserved, and they duly went on to seal the points a minute from time after a ball across goal was converted by Marusic. So a superb win for the hosts which puts some more daylight between them and the relegation zones, whilst for Torpedo this was a very poor day at the office I what was a rather adject performance, and they stayed four points behind the leaders as a result.
Round Ten – Friday 22nd May
Slavia 1 Gorodeya 1
These two were locked together in the lower half of the table, and both had identical records in the win, draw and loss stakes so a tight encounter was expected here. A rather drab first forty five minutes saw the visitors net the only goal of the half which came on the half hour mark after a ball across the box found it’s way to Yaskovich who blasted home from close range, and the visitors held a slender lead at the break. However, just past the hour mark that lead was wiped out in very controversial circumstances, after the referee gave one of the worst handball decisions I have ever seen. With the defender turning his back towards the shot, and with his arms down by his side, the ball was fired at him from point blank range and hit his back and maybe a bit of the elbow, and the referee deemed this handball and also booked the defender!!! It was an appalling decision, but the hosts took advantage as Chukhlei converted the spot kick, meaning the game eventually ended up finishing all square. That penalty decision though, still haven’t got over it now, honestly on of the worst I’ve seen, blimey.
Shakhtyor 4 Belshina 0
The second and final game of Friday saw a home side looking to draw level with Torpedo BelAZ and Energetik BGU on eighteen points in second spot, whilst the visitors were bottom and looking for a first win of the campaign in their tenth attempt. They had come close the previous couple of weekends so maybe this time round they could? Well, the hosts looked good from the off and after seeing a goal ruled out for offside, did take the lead in the 21st minute after Begunov stooped to send a headed effort into the net, and despite the visitors having their moments, the hosts looked the better outfit. The game remained in the balance though whilst it remained 1-0, and it stayed this way until Shakhtyor, who had been backed by a very noisy home support, doubled their lead thirteen minutes from time as Podstrelov swept home a first time effort after a header into him to more or less seal the contest. The visitors fell apart after this second goal went in and conceded twice more before the end, firstly when Podstrelov grabbed his second after a wonderful long range effort with nine minutes left, and then substitute Bodul added a fourth with two minutes remaining after receiving a pass, taking a touch and firing home from close range as the hosts ended the game in style. The hosts then do join Torpedo and Energetik on eighteen points and challengers to leaders BATE, whilst Belshina remain bottom with just three points from their ten games in a performance that in the end was a disappointment following two previous weekends where they could of easily won both.
Round Ten – Saturday 23rd May
Smolevichy STI P-P Minsk
The scheduled midday kick off on Saturday was postponed until a later date as Minsk are still isolating after positive coronavirus tests over a week ago.
Slutsk 1 Ruh Brest 1
Hosts Slutsk have had a terrific start to this season, but the last couple of weeks have perhaps given them a reality check of sorts after defeats to Energetik BGU and BATE, the two sides who now occupy the top two positions. They were up against a side in Ruh Brest who themselves had also started pretty well after being promoted from the first division last season in what was only their third year as a club. Well the first period was goalless although not sure how after both teams missed some decent openings, with Brest hitting the woodwork twice to Slutsk one, but you felt the visitors were probably the better side in this one as the game went on. But, with nine minutes to go Slutsk were the ones who took the lead and maybe the points when Semenov glanced home a corner and give the host a much-needed tonic after the two defeats previously. This wasn’t to be the case though as Brest won themselves a penalty with three minutes to go after the keeper had taken out an opponent, and Vasilyev duly dispatched the spot kick and to be honest it was the least the visitors deserved. Slutsk though did at least end a two-game losing streak but have now slipped to fifth spot, whilst Brest that is four draws in their last five as they climb into seventh spot.
Isloch 1 Energetyk BGU 2
Thus was billed as a potentially entertaining encounter as hosts Isloch, who could join their opponents on eighteen points in joint second with a win, took on Energetyk who could go clear second alone and only a point behind leaders BATE with a win themselves. The hosts form over the last four weeks was mixed, with two wins and two defeats, whilst Energetyk were on a three-match winning run which had propelled them into the top spots of the division. Isloch almost grabbed an early lead when striking the woodwork, but the visitors soon gained some control when taking the lead in the 13th minute after winning a penalty which was dispatched by none other then spot kick king Yakshiboev who sent the keeper the wrong way. The hosts recovered though and won themselves a spot kick of their own and Stephen emphatically converted to bring the hosts level, and it remained that way for some time, and it looked like the hosts won themselves a second penalty of the day when Kolodinski went down inside the box, but he had deemed to be simulating and was booked, which saw him subbed soon after, oops. Anyway it looked as though we were set for another 1-1 draw on Saturday, but Yidchits had other ideas as he fired a blockbuster of a long range effort into the hosts net with the keeper rooted to the spot and win the game for the visitors in stoppage time, cueing mass celebrations amongst the BGU side. A superb way to win any game and it saw them climb into second spot on their own, a point behind the leaders and their fourth win on the spin, whilst Isloch dropped to sixth after their third defeat in four.
Vitebsk 1 Dinamo Minsk 1
The final game of Round Ten saw a lower half clash between two sides on twelve points, although the home side had not won in their last four games having won three of their first five so they had dropped off slightly. Minsk themselves had won two of their last four, including a slender win over Isloch last time out, but both were in mixed form for sure. The game had a fast start and a classic looked on the cards, firstly when the visitors took the lead after a lofted pass got them in behind the defence and a square ball across goal was fired into the roof of the net by Bakhar in the fifth minute, but that lead only lasted fourteen minutes as the hosts levelled after a long ball saw Nicolaescu outpace a defender and also beat the keeper to the ball to loft beyond him and into the net. But the game then failed to really ignite and became a rather physical tussle, with plenty of fouls and bookings, although some were questionable it has to be said!!! No more goals meant a point each, and there was even a bit of afters following the final whistle, but this like the game that went before them, diffused fairly quickly, and it means both sides do gain places, with the hosts up to eighth and the visitors tenth.
So that completes Round Ten so here is how the table looks: -
BATE lead the way with Energetyk close behind, then the remainder are only separated by eight points down to 14th, so a winning run for anyone could see them into the top places. Then you have the bottom two who are starting to be cut adrift if they do not find wins soon.
Here are Round Eleven fixtures: -
Friday 29th May
Torpedo BelAZ Vs Smolevichy STI (4pm)
Gorodeya Vs Neman Grodno (6pm)
Saturday 30th May
Minsk Vs Slutsk (1pm)
Belshina Vs Slavia (3pm)
Dinamo Minsk Vs Shakhtyor (5pm)
Sunday 31st May
Energetyk BGU Vs Vitebsk (2pm)
BATE Vs Isloch (4pm)
Ruh Brest Vs Dinamo Brest (6pm)
Next weekend should hopefully see Minsk back in action after two weekends away self-isolating, hoping everyone involved is ok and I am sure they are chomping at the bit to get back into action. They take on a Slutsk side who have not won in three games following a brilliant start so could be an interesting introduction back into the season. Also, next weekend sees the Brest derby as Rukh ‘host’ Dinamo, a team who have come from being formed as an amateur side four years ago against last seasons champions, couldn’t write it could you!!!
Now normally this would be it for this blog, but no, there was one more game this weekend, and it was the small matter of the Belarusian Cup Final between last years Champions Dinamo Brest and this season’s leaders and last years runners up, oh and winners of the league in the thirteen previous years BATE at the Dinamo Stadium in Minsk. The two played only a few days before in the division and saw BATE take a 3-1 win, so could Brest gain revenge for that defeat and kick start what has been a rather poor defence of their title so far this campaign, or would BATE add yet another trophy to their bulging cabinet? Let’s find out…..
Sunday 24th May - Belarusian Cup Final (at Dinamo Stadium, Minsk)
BATE 1 Dinamo Brest 0 (aet)
BPL leaders BATE were of course big favourites to win their fourth Belarus Cup, and the first team to achieve that feat, whilst Brest were just going to try and compete with them and maybe, just maybe pull off a surprise. After a positive start from the underdogs the favourites soon began to look like they were getting a foothold in proceedings and putting Brest under pressure. BATE had the best chance of the opening forty five minutes when somehow putting wide from point blank range, but Brest remained well in this contest in what was a very competitive encounter, and late on in the half BATE lost defender Filipenko to what looked like a muscle injury, which was a blow to them no doubt.
The opening half of the second period wasn’t the prettiest to watch, but after BATE brought on Milic midway through the second period, he almost made an immediate impact when poking wide, and after BATE saw three more openings fail to find the net, you felt they would be the ones to find a winner perhaps. Dinamo brought on the big man Laptev, and he almost stunned BATE by firing just wide with a minute or two remaining, whilst Milevski claimed he was bundled over in the box, but the referee told him to get up as the underdogs looked on in dismay. It all meant the game ended goalless and an extra half hour and maybe penalties would be needed to settle this one.
Dinamo so nearly took the lead early in the first period of extra time when curling a free kick against the bar, and then moments later BATE thought they had scored when a shot was well saved down low. The end of the first period also saw a huge blow to Dinamo when Milevski crawled off the pitch in agony, it looked like a injury to his foot/Achilles maybe but he was in a lot of pain and could barely walk. There were also some disagreements between the benches during the half time break of extra time, resulting in three yellow cards being dished out, it was all rather tense and tight out there.
Anyway, the final fifteen or so minutes, could someone find a winner before the dreaded penalty shoot-out? If anyone was going to it looked like BATE would be the ones too, and they poked another golden opportunity wide before forcing a point blank save a few minutes after as they now looked the fitter of the two sides, as Dinamo saw three players at least go to ground with cramp as their fitness levels were being tested to the limit. But could they hold on for penalties, which was no doubt what they were trying to do now, and it looked like they had done just that…..but with the clock now in the 122nd minute and with seconds to go, BATE struck to break Dinamo hearts as a mad scramble inside the box saw the ball sit up nicely for Volkov and he volleyed into the net to send his team wild and saw the Dinamo players sink to their knees. They had given everything in this one but BATE finally managed to break their resolve and win the cup for the fourth time.
Well what a dramatic end that was to what was not the most memorable finals it has to be said, but BATE probably deserved to win it but Dinamo should take a lot of heart from this into their league campaign now, starting with the Brest derby in a week’s time. BATE’s season is kicking into action now and who could bet against them winning the BPL too this season? It is going to take someone special to stop them, they just find a way to win which all champion sides do. Will see you next weekend with Round Eleven of the season.
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