Wave Pinsk ground out a 2:1 victory over Dynamo Minsk II in the First League's 23rd round on Thursday, a result that keeps both sides level on points in the table. The home side took all three points at home, closing out a match that swung between phases rather than settling into a rhythm anyone could predict.
K. Polkhovskiy opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 35th minute, giving Pinsk the lead just before half-time. Dynamo Minsk II responded immediately — U. Varonin equalised in the 40th, and for a while it looked as though the visitors might carry momentum into the second period. The equaliser came quickly, and the match opened up again.
It was D. Matyash who decided matters, firing home a penalty in the 47th minute to restore Pinsk's advantage. By then the visitors had lost their composure at a critical moment, and the home side held every card they had. That penalty kept his side in it, and Pinsk managed to see out the remainder without conceding again.
Two penalties in the first hour suggests a game decided by mistakes rather than sustained pressure. A. Penkrat received a yellow card for Dynamo Minsk II in the 13th minute, the only booking of the match, and you could sense the tension building after that. The referee wasn't called upon to produce another card, but the incident set the tone for a tight encounter.
Both teams arrive at this point with identical records — 22 games played, nine wins, four draws, nine defeats, and 31 points each. Pinsk sit ninth while Dynamo Minsk II occupy eighth, a gap of one place that feels larger than the numbers suggest. Neither side has pulled away from the pack, and this result keeps the pressure on both.
The visitors had momentum coming into this fixture, having won their previous two matches against Smorgon and Orsha. That run ended here, and the home side proved they could respond when it mattered. Pinsk will take confidence from holding on after Matyash's penalty, while Dynamo Minsk II will look for answers before the next round.
