Another round of the BPL to write about now, starting with
Friday’s night’s double header: -
Round Thirteen – Friday 12th June
Minsk 0 Isloch 1
Hosts Minsk were trying to bounce back from last weekend’s mauling at the hands of Dinamo Brest, and were also trying to prevent back to back defeats in the process, whilst Isloch were on a four game winless run and in danger of being sucked into the clutches of the lower half sides who were right on their tails. Minsk had two wonderful chances to go in front early on but saw Khvaschinsky’s raider unusually off, as he scuffed wide from point blank range and then struck the post with the other effort, whilst Isloch were welcoming back Yansane after a one match suspension, and he forced a good stop from the keeper in what was the visitors best chance in the opening half. Isloch did more of the attacking though and ten minutes into the second period that man Yansane was brought down inside the box, and skipper Komarovski, who netted Isloch’s leveller last weekend in their 1-1 draw against Ruh Brest, stepped up to rifle an unstoppable spot kick into the net and Isloch had something to defend. Minsk did have a couple of chances thereafter but the off colour Khvaschinsky could not find the net with either, but the visitors defended well when they had too and in the brilliant Yansane, they always remained a threat going forward. He really does make a difference to this side, and his contribution to the goal certainly suggested this. Minsk then suffer back to back defeats and slip to third bottom and into that relegation play of position, albeit with a couple of games in hand, whilst Isloch net their first win in five and climb up to sixth ahead of the weekend games, and put some daylight between them and the chasing pack below.
Gorodeya 3 Slutsk 0
The home side came into this one off the back of two pretty poor performances, and last Friday night they were handed a bit of a thumping by second bottom Smolevichy for whom that was their first win of the season. Slutsk were the visitors and they themselves were on a five-match winless run yielding just two points from those games, but they must have fancied getting their season back on track here. The previous two weeks had seen them create plenty of chances to win both games, but cutting edge in front of goal has deserted them lately, so they would have been hoping to grab something against a side who had shipped six in their last two games. The visitors lacked energy and a spark in the first half and Gorodeya were much improved from previous weeks and in the 34th minjute took the lead when Arkhipov converted from the angle after the hosts had driven towards the visitors area at pace, and soon after a ball across goal was converted for 2-0, but no offside was given, much to the displeasure of the hosts boss!!! The hosts were doing well though and deserved their half time lead, but it was to get even better for them and a lot worse for Slutsk early in the second half as after a visitors attack broke down, the hosts sent a ball through to Arkhipov who ran clear from just inside the Slutsk half, and although being chased he kept his cool to slot into the far corner and send the hosts wild with delight and a two goal cushion to boot. Four minutes later and ten minutes into the second half Gorodeya made it three as Slutsk were capitulating as a flick on found Pavlyuchek who slotted home from close range and the hosts were in dreamland. It had totally killed off any hopes of a Slutsk recovery and at that stage it looked like Slutsk would fall apart. The visitors did have more of the ball thereafter but that was all they had, this was a shocker of a result for them and in turn a worrying one too. The hosts though were delighted, this was their first win for two months and took them out of the relegation play off place as a result, and remarkably only three points behind a free falling Slutsk side who are now down to seventh ahead of the weekend games. The visitors topped the standings after Round Seven, but only two points from six games since then has seen them fall eight points off the leaders and only five points above the third bottom place and relegation play-off position. Alarming
Round Thirteen – Saturday 13th June
Neman Grodno 2 Smolevichy STI 0
Saturday’s first match saw two sides coming into this one off the back of decent wins from the previous week. The hosts were in fact looking for four straight victories after a great run of form which has seen them climbing up the table, whilst Smolevichy netted four last Friday evening in what was their first win of the season at their eleventh attempt and had played some decent football for last few weeks without luck. The first half saw Neman force a couple of stops from visiting keeper Gomelko, but it was a first period devoid of much goalmouth action, and the opening period of the second half was not much better. But midway through the second half a moment of brilliance saw the deadlock broken, and it came from hosts skipper Zhukovski, as after the visitors lost the ball in midfield, he ran on and fired a super long range effort in off the post and the hosts had the advantage. The visitors struggled to create anything significant going forward in this contest, with the usually dangerous Poe down the right snuffed out on more than one occasion, but they were making this a tough contest for the hosts and were defending well for the majority of the time. Neman though did eventually seal the points and their fourth straight win when who else but Kadymyan was involved, crossing to Yablonski who chested down the cross before firing home with his right foot from inside the box with three minutes remaining. Not a classic contest but Neman will not care about that, and they climb up to sixth and only two points from the top three and those european spots ahead of Sunday’s games, whilst Smolevichy lose for the seventh time in twelve this season and remain second bottom and six points off third bottom Minsk, with the latter having a game in hand still. Those two still have to meet twice though so that could well decide who occupies which spot come the end of the season.
Torpedo BelAZ 0 Dinamo Brest 2
The hosts recent form has been mixed, so they were looking to put in a decent performance and claim second spot for now although they were up against a Dinamo Brest side who had notched ten goals in their last two outings including five in one half last weekend against Minsk, and the champions from last season knew a win would take them into third ahead of tomorrow’s games and above their opponents too. Torpedo actually started quite brightly and were the better team for the opening 15-20 minutes as Brest took time to settle, but thereafter the visitors started to come more and more into the contest, and in the 26th minute grabbed the lead when a Laptev header came off a defender and back to the striker who prodded into the far corner. And two minutes later it was two just like that as Kislyak curled a beauty into the net from the edge of the box and Brest were now flying once again, as the hosts looked shell shocked after the start they had they were now two goals behind. The second half saw Torpedo attempt to try and get back into the contest and saw their best effort glance off the crossbar, and with twenty five minutes remaining Kiki was shown a second yellow for a foul meaning Brest were down to ten men. Moments after this came an award of a penalty kick for the hosts in a rather controversial decision, as after keeper Pavlyuchenko had come and claimed a cross, he stuck his leg up like all keeper do and slightly brushed the attacker who was trying to challenge the cross. The attacker made the most of it an went down holding his arm, and the referee incredibly gave a penalty and booked the keeper which was utter madness. Dinamo were understandably upset with this decision, but the referee was adamant it was a penalty. Veloso had the chance then to bring his side back into the contest but he saw his spot kick saved by Pavlyuchenko and you felt justice had been done, and it kind of summed up Torpedo in front of goal, especially second half as they created enough chances to at least grab a point. Fair play to Dinamo though who dug in and defended as a unit and got the clean sheet as their season is going from strength to strength now, and they climb into the top three and before Sunday’s game trail BATE the leaders by just four points. Are they playing themselves back into another title race perhaps? For Torpedo it was a disappointing day and one they felt they should of got something from after that second half showing, but it’s only one win in four now as they slip to fourth and could slip even further by the end of the weekend, but they are still right in the mix for top honours and level on points with their opponents.
Dinamo Minsk 1 Slavia 0
The final game from Saturday came at the Dinamo Stadium in the capital, as Dinamo Minsk hosted Slavia, and both sides had something in common over the last two weekends. What is that you ask? Well, both went to bottom side Belshina and won, but that’s where the similarities end, as Slavia had to come from 2-0 down to win in the final minute, whilst Dinamo thrashed them 4-0 in what was a fairly comfortable victory last weekend. Slavia came into this one having lost 3-1 at home to the inform Neman Grodno, but knew a win here could see them climb into the top half, whilst the hosts would go seventh for now with back to back wins, so plenty to play for here. It turned out to be a rather scrappy affair in all honesty, but the game was settled with a moment of brilliance from Shikavka nine minutes before the break. After the ball was sent into the box the attacker acrobatically sent a wonderful effort into the corner of the net, and this was the only quality moment in a rather dull encounter. One to forget then, but the hosts do enough to pick up the points and send themselves into the top seven, whilst Slavia slip to tenth and will finish the weekend in eleventh after tomorrow’s games, and only two points above Minsk who occupy that relegation play-off position.
Round Thirteen – Sunday 14th June
Energetyk BGU 0 Belshina 1
The hosts headed into this one having not won in two games, this after a five game winning streak prior to that, so they really felt they had to get back to winning ways against bottom side Belshina who were still without a win this season and had lost their last three games coming into this one. Victory for the home side could see them end the weekend in second spot too so a big incentive for them to get back to winning ways too, but the visitors had the first opening when a ball across goal was just too high for the visitors before Energetyk then struck the bar and then saw a goal chalked off for offside. The visitors then missed a brilliant chance to go in front as this competitive encounter remained goalless going into the break, but just two minutes after the restart the visitors took a shock lead when Kovel sent a close range diving header into the net. The hosts looked to respond to this set back and struck the bar once again from a free kick and missed more chances as Belshina were just about holding onto the lead, and with one of those chances saw Moussakhanian caught in the face when heading just off target, resulting in him being stretchered off and into an ambulance to be taken to hospital with a serious facial injury. Hopefully, he is ok and will be back sooner rather than later. It also meant the hosts were down to ten men too, and they could not find a leveller in the remaining time and saw Belshina record a stunning victory in Minsk and pick up their first win of the season. No dount the visitors had done some soul searching after the last couple of weeks as this was a superb confidence boost for them although they still have plenty of work to do, but it’s a start, as for the hosts well it’s now three games without a win and back to back defeats which sees them slip to fifth although they are level on points with third placed Dinamo Brest so still in a decent position but need to try and regroup and get back to winning ways as soon as possible.
Ruh Brest 0 Vitebsk 1
The hosts came into this one having not won in four games, and they started the match only one place and two points above Minsk in the relegation play-off place, whilst the visitors were two places above but on the same number of points as their opponents so this was an important match down towards the lower part of the table. Both sides drew last weekend although the visitors draw was a far bigger achievement after they fought back from 2-0 down against league leaders BATE to claim an unlikely point in that one, and Vitebsk certainly initially continued from where left of against BATE as they flew out of the traps in this one, missing two brilliant chances in the opening seven minutes. After ten minutes though they did go in front as Nicolaescu sent a close-range header into the corner of the net and the visitors were well on top and now in front. The hosts did respond well to going behind though and came more and more into the contest thereafter, and early in the second period they were pushing the visitors back as they looked to try and grab a leveller. Vitebsk though managed to whether that storm and then Rukh saw Kovtun sent off twenty minutes into the second period after two quick yellows, and that rather affected the hosts momentum and although they did have chances to level still, Vitebsk had openings to seal the points but could not do this. But that early goal proved enough to hand Vitebsk their first win since Round Five, which ironically was against Rukh rivals Dinamo Brest, and they are now unbeaten in six games too which is no mean feat indeed. Rukh though are now winless in five and need to find some form from somewhere soon unless they want a battle against relegation in their hands if others below pick up.
BATE 2 Shakhtyor 2
The final game of the weekend and Round 13 was a biggie, as the winners would end the weekend on top of the pile. Hosts BATE could end the weekend as much as five points clear at the top, or if Shakhtyor claimed a big win in Borisov then they would end the round a point clear of BATE at the top, so this result would certainly lay down a marker. BATE of course are now unbeaten in ten games although last weekend’s draw would have been a huge disappointment after they lead 2-0 with twelve minutes to go, whilst the visitors have won their last four and haven’t conceded a goal in the league for 675 minutes, seven and a half games, but this would surely be put under severe pressure against the leaders who had the home advantage. Well, after seven minutes the visitors made their intentions known that they were here to take top spot as they went ahead after just seven minutes as Ivanovic glanced a header into the far corner, and if BATE didn’t know they were in a game, well they did now!!! The closest BATE came to levelling in the first half was when Milic sent a glancing header towards goal which was saved, but Shakhtyor were nailing a perfect game plan and the hosts were struggling to break that mean defence down, and just before half time it really should have been 2-0 to the visitors but a wonderful double stop from Chychkan denied them a two goal cushion at the break. It had been another half without conceding though and they were on their way to leading the table, although there was still a big forty-five minutes to come. The opening fifteen minutes of the half went pretty much the same way the opening half had, but just past the hour mark BATE found a way through that Shakhtyor defence as Nekhaychik converted a cross from the left and meant after 736 minutes of league football the visitors had finally conceded another goal, and it would now be a huge test of the visitors nerve to see if they could get a positive result from this game now. With twelve minutes to go though BATE grabbed the lead as Shakhtyor conceded again when substitute Skavysh, who had only come on for Milic moments earlier, headed skipper Stasevich’s corner home, and the celebrations told you everything and how much this goal meant to the hosts, they were going five points clear at the top as things stood. Three minutes later though their joy was to turn to despair and anger, as the visitors put a ball into the box and as keeper Chychkan tried to gather, he crutched into a teammate and an attacker and the ball broke loose and Podstrelov, also on as substitute, put the ball into the empty net. Everyone expected the whistle to blow and disallow the goal but it never came and Shakhtyor celebrated whilst BATE were absolutely livid, resulting in Chychkan being booked for his protests and a member of the coaching staff was red carded and the manager booked. More importantly though it meant the match was back in the balance and heading into the final part with still everything to play for, and you felt that BATE might get a chance before the end to win it, and they did two minutes into stoppage time but fluffed their lines and for the second weekend running had to settle for a 2-2 draw. Fantastic drama and a brilliant way to end the weekend, BATE do remain two clear of second placed Shakhtyor but there could be a title race on here folks!!!
So after all that excitement and drama, here is how the table looks after Round 13:-
Here are next weekend’s fixtures for Round 14:-
Friday 19th June
Slavia Vs Smolevichy STI (3pm)
Slutsk Vs Neman Grodno (5pm)
Saturday 20th June
Isloch Vs Torpedo BelAZ (2pm)
Dinamo Brest Vs Gorodeya (4pm)
Dinamo Minsk Vs Energetyk BGU (6pm)
Sunday 21st June
Belshina Vs BATE (2pm)
Vitebsk Vs Minsk (4pm)
Shakhtyor Vs Ruh Brest (6pm)
Thanks for reading as always, see you next weekend!!!
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