Kaspij Aktau 2 — Turan Turkistan, First Division

Turan Turkistan secured a 3-0 win over Kaspij Aktau 2 in the first division's regular season, round nine, on Thursday. The visitors moved up to third in the table with 41 points after their fifth win in their last five matches. Kaspij Aktau 2 remain ninth on 20 points from 20 games.

K. Duisenbekuly opened the scoring in the ninth minute for the hosts, then doubled their lead just before half-time in the 45th. The visitors responded quickly after the break. A goal in the 51st minute brought them level, and A. Kenesov added a third in the 53rd to complete the turnaround.

and here's the thing — we had backed the visitors to win with 59 per cent confidence before kick-off. The prediction held up as Turkistan showed the composure to respond after going behind twice. They tightened things up in the opening exchanges of the second half and picked up the momentum they needed.

To be fair, the hosts had looked dangerous in the first half. Their recent form included a 6-1 victory over Aktobe Yakht or three clean sheets on the spin earlier in the campaign. But by then the visitors had found a way back into it and never let go.

The result extends Turan Turkistan's unbeaten run and closes the gap on the leaders. Kaspij Aktau 2's five-match losing streak continues after defeats to Shaktar Karaganda and Akademia Ontiustik in August. The visitors have nothing to lose in their push for promotion.