Spartak Kostroma played out a 1:1 draw with Ufa in the First League on Sunday evening. The result keeps both sides in the top six, with Kostroma maintaining their fifth-place position on 18 points while Ufa remain sixth with 16.
Kostroma took the lead through A. Kalmykov in the 50th minute. The forward had a chance to double his advantage shortly after, but his penalty in the 61st minute was saved. Ufa responded well and levelled through an own goal from N. Tarasov in stoppage time.
The match was characterised by Kostroma's dominance in wide areas. They won 11 corners to Ufa's 2, and recorded 14 shots compared to their visitors' 6. Yet possession barely shifted, with Ufa edging it at 52 per cent to Kostroma's 48.
There were plenty of stoppages for yellow cards. Kostroma collected three while Ufa also picked up three, including D. Kutin and S. Isaev in the first half of the second period. The discipline issues did not derail the contest, though.
Both managers made changes to try and find a winner. Kostroma brought on A. Nemchenko in the 74th minute and N. Mohammadi in the 88th. Ufa responded with substitutions for D. Ozmanov and K. Troyanov in the 80th minute.
The draw extends Kostroma's unbeaten run to five matches, following victories against SKA Khabarovsk and Sochi. Ufa's form has been uneven, with that heavy 0:3 defeat to Ural earlier in the month still fresh.
What this means for the table is marginal at this stage. Kostroma hold a two-point cushion over Ufa, but both sides have played nine games with one defeat each. The gap could widen or narrow depending on results this weekend.