Soligorsk moved further clear at the top of the Extraleague table with a 1:7 victory over Lokomotiv Orsha on Thursday. The result extends a five-match winning run for the visitors, who had already beaten their hosts 8:1 four days earlier. Our prediction of an away win at 60 per cent confidence came good, which is hardly surprising given the trajectory of both sides this season.
Lokomotiv Orsha sit eighth after four rounds, while Soligorsk remain unbeaten and lead the standings. The home side have lost two of their four games, including both meetings with the table-toppers. That double defeat leaves them three matches behind the top four, though the gap in points is not yet large enough to write anything off.
Soligorsk's recent form reads like a checklist: seven goals against Novopolotsk, five in another, three over Slavyichy, and seven versus Gomel before the 8:1 demolition of Lokomotiv. They have not conceded more than three goals in any of those five outings, which suggests a side that knows how to control matches.
The visitors took their advantage early and never looked back. Lokomotiv paid for a sloppy opening and quickly fell behind. Soligorsk camped in the final third, creating chances at will while the home defence struggled to regroup. By then the pattern was set: one goal for the hosts, seven for the visitors.
The result moves Soligorsk further clear at the summit. Lokomotiv Orsha remain in the lower half, with two losses now on their tally. Both teams have played four games, but the difference in confidence is already visible. Soligorsk held their nerve in every segment, while Lokomotiv have yet to find a way to stop them.
