Surkhon edged past Kokand-1912 1-0 in the Superliga's Regular Season round 15 on Sunday, with a single goal proving enough to separate two sides that have similar records. The visitors moved up to twelfth place, while the hosts dropped further down to fourteenth in the table.
Surkhon took the lead in the fifty-first minute when R. Friday found the net. The match had been tight before that moment, with both sides creating chances but failing to convert. Kokand-1912's T. Ashuboyev picked up a yellow card in the thirty-fourth minute, while M. Mirusmonov went off the same way for Surkhon in the seventy-first.
Coaches made several changes as the game wore on. Surkhon brought on Y. Kondratyuk at half-time, and later saw Friday substituted in the seventy-fourth minute. Kokand-1912 responded with three changes — I. Malikdzhonov, D. Tursunov and S. Nimely — before adding S. Abdukhamidov in the eighty-fifth minute.
Both teams created similar numbers of chances, though conversion rates differed. Kokand-1912 registered 113 attacks with eight corners and seven shots off target, but only managed two on goal. Surkhon had 116 attacks, four shots on target with a 67 per cent accuracy rate, and that efficiency made the difference.
The result leaves Kokand-1912 on 21 points from 21 games with four wins and nine defeats, while Surkhon sit on 23 points with six victories and ten losses. Friday's goal extended his side's recent form, which had included a narrow loss to Khorezm and a win against Andijan.