Dordoi Bishkek and OshMU Aldier played out a 2-2 draw in the Kyrgyz Premier League's 22nd round on Sunday. The result keeps both sides in the lower half of the table, with Dordoi sitting eighth on 28 points and OshMU Aldir tenth on 27.
Goals came at the 23rd and 44th minutes before the second half turned. Dordoi thought they had taken the lead in the 83rd minute, only for OshMU Aldir to equalise two minutes later. And here's the thing — that late response came after Dordoi had spent much of the game looking comfortable.
To be fair, both teams arrived in indifferent form. Dordoi had won four of their last five but lost two of those, including a 0-3 defeat to Ilbirys. OshMU Aldir's recent run was even more mixed: a 3-2 win over Muraz United followed by losses to Toktogul and Ozgon.
We had backed Dordoi to win with 48 per cent confidence, but the match refused to go our way. The away side's late equaliser came from a moment of urgency that Dordoi's defence never quite matched — they got dragged out of position and paid for it.
After 22 games, Dordoi sit eight points clear of OshMU Aldir. The gap might not look wide, but it matters when you're playing for European qualification. By then, both teams will be thinking about how to avoid slipping further back.
