Ильпар saw off ФК Сокол Саратов 3-1 in the Regions Path second round of the Cup on Tuesday. The result keeps the hosts alive in the competition while Сокол Саратов's run comes to an end. By then the visitors had already lost their composure.
M. Rodin opened the scoring in the forty-third minute, giving Ильпар the lead before half-time. I. Klementyev pulled one back for Сокол Саратов in first-half stoppage time, and the game looked balanced. Then V. Shpitalniy restored the home side's advantage in the fifty-first minute. And here's the thing — the visitors never really recovered from that second goal.
Ильпар added a fourth goal in the ninetieth minute, which ended a barren spell for the home side. Сокол Саратов had one man sent off in stoppage time, which meant they had no chance to respond. To be fair, the red card came after the result was already decided, but it confirmed the visitors' struggles.
The hosts have been inconsistent of late. Their last five results show wins against Metallurg Asha and Носта, but also heavy defeats to Tyumen and Уралец. Сокол Саратов, meanwhile, have kept three clean sheets on the spin in their recent outings, though this performance suggested something had changed.
The 3-1 victory moves Ильпар into the next stage of the Cup. Сокол Саратов's run ends here, and they will need to regroup. The table goes out of the window in these games, but sometimes the result tells you everything you need to know.