Trostyanets came from behind to beat Penuel 3:1 in the seventh round of the Second League's regular season on Monday. The visitors had to wait until the second half to take control, but once they did, they turned a one-goal deficit into a comfortable win. R. Buryak's early strike for the hosts looked like it might be enough, but Trostyanets responded with three goals in quick succession.
Buryak gave Penuel the lead in the third minute, catching the home side's first real opportunity. It was a goal that would have sent the home crowd into raptures, and here's the thing — it kept them believing for the full ninety minutes. But Trostyanets had something to say about that by the second half, when the momentum shifted completely.
B. Bokulev equalised in the 56th minute, erasing what had looked like an insurmountable advantage for the hosts. To be fair, Penuel had gone forward with confidence after that early opener, and Trostyanets were always likely to find an opening. The visitors did not have to wait long for their reward, and the match opened up from there.
N. Chukwuemeka then took over, scoring twice in the closing stages. The first came in the 76th minute, putting Trostyanets ahead for the first time, and he doubled his tally in the 83rd to seal the result. It was a late blitz that punished Penuel for sitting on their lead too comfortably, and by then the damage was done.
Both sides entered this match level on four points from three games each. Penuel sat fourth while Trostyanets occupied third place, but the gap between them was negligible — one win, one draw, one loss for each. This result changes the landscape slightly, with the visitors now holding a psychological edge over their hosts.
Penuel's recent form has been difficult, having lost their last three matches in a row. They had drawn 2:2 with Metallurg Zaporizhzhia and lost 1:2 to Poltava 2, with heavy defeats against Rebel and Oleksandriya II also on the ledger. Trostyanets, meanwhile, have shown more resilience, drawing with Poltava 2 and Carbon before picking up wins against Polonne and Lozova.