SKA Khabarovsk 1:3 Spartak Kostroma
Spartak Kostroma took all three points away from home in the First League, beating SKA Khabarovsk 3:1 on Sunday. The visitors had been uneven in recent weeks — two draws followed by a loss — but here they were clinical when it mattered. SKA, meanwhile, sit bottom of the table with just one win in nine games and nothing to show for it.
SKA started brighter, taking the lead through M. Gorelishvili in the 53rd minute. They pressed early, won more throw-ins than Kostroma, and had eight shots on target by then. But Kostroma responded quickly. A. Kalmykov equalised in the 64th minute after a substitution had changed the tempo. By then the home side looked tired, even though possession was almost even at 48 per cent.
The second half turned ugly for SKA. S. Bugriiev put Kostroma ahead in the 83rd minute, and the home side was already on the back foot. K. Pliev was sent off in the 90th minute, a red card that sealed the result and left SKA with ten men for the final moments. They had nothing to do all evening by that stage.
The statistics tell a simple story. Kostroma had nine shots on target to SKA's eight, but they converted twice. SKA missed chances and then lost their shape after the goal. Possession was split almost evenly, but possession means little when you're chasing the game. The visitors were out of sight by the time the red card came.
SKA remain in 18th place with three points from nine games — one win, eight losses. Kostroma move up to sixth with 18 points, five wins and three draws. The gap between them is now 15 points, and neither side is likely to change position soon. SKA's run of losses continues; Kostroma's stability holds.