Rostov played out a goalless draw against Ryazan-VDV in the Higher League on Friday. The match ended 0:0 at the 15th round of the women's regular season. Both sides had chances but couldn't find the net.
The game settled into a cautious rhythm early on. Ryazan-VDV made a change at the four-minute mark, bringing on Alisa Zakharenko. A yellow card for Tatyana Krasnova followed ten minutes later, and Victoria Ilyina soon joined her in the book. By then the tempo was already set for a tight encounter.
More cautions accumulated as the halves progressed. E. Zubkova and Inna Novikova each received bookings around the half-hour mark. Snezhana Kirpichnikova and Margarita Litvinenko picked up cards just before and after the interval. Veronika Anisina was the last to be booked in the 82nd minute.
There was a moment of tension in the second half when Natalia Perepechina stepped up for a penalty in the 69th minute. She missed her spot-kick, and the game remained level after that. Rostov brought on Darya Yakovleva and Anastasiia Berendeeva, while Ryazan-VDV introduced Olga Shcherbinina late on.
And here's the thing about the table — Rostov sit 11th with 11 points from 17 games. Ryazan-VDV are one place below them on 9 points. Neither side has much to play for at this stage, though both would have preferred three points over a draw.
The result leaves the gap between the two sides at two points. Rostov's form has been difficult of late, with only one win in their last five league matches. Ryazan-VDV have drawn six of their 17 outings this season — a pattern that hasn't helped them climb higher.