Mamonty Yugra took a 3-2 victory over Molot Perm in a club friendly on Friday, the 15th of August. The game finished in Perm, where the hosts had been struggling of late. Three goals for the visitors against two for the home side made for a tight enough result, though not one that needed extra time or penalties.
Perm's recent run hasn't been kind to them. They lost 3-4 and 1-4 to Tolpar in their last two matches, then went through a stretch in March that included a 4-5 defeat to AKM-Novomoskovsk. They had won one game in that period, 4-2 away to the same side, but the losses piled up. By then they were losing more than they were winning, and this result followed that pattern.
Mamonty Yugra came into the game with their own issues. They lost 1-2 and 2-3 to Sibirskie Snaypery in their last two matches, and before that they were 0-1 and 1-10 against Stalnye Lisy. A 0-4 loss to Tolpar rounded out that run. To be fair, they managed a 1-1 draw against the same Lisy side, so there was something there, but the losses outnumbered the draws and wins.
And here's the thing — a 3-2 scoreline in a friendly doesn't tell you much about either team's season. These are exhibition matches, meant to test things, not to decide anything. Still, it's worth noting that both sides had been finding the back of their own net more often than they'd have liked in the months leading up to this one.
The result leaves Molot Perm with another loss on their record, while Mamonty Yugra can take something from a win after a run of poor form. Neither side has a table to worry about in friendlies, but you watch these games to see what sticks. Final score: Molot Perm 2-3 Mamonty Yugra.