Okzhetpes take all three points from Atyrau
Okzhetpes secured a 2-0 victory over Atyrau in the Premier League's regular season round 22 on 16 August. The result moves the visitors into fourth place with 39 points, while Atyrau remain in twelfth with 20. By then, the game had settled into a pattern the hosts struggled to break.
Okzhetpes took control late in the contest. Dmitri Borodin opened the scoring in the 77th minute, and the visitors doubled their advantage with two quick goals from O. Omirtaev and Oralkhan Omirtaev in the 87th and 88th minutes. The home side had their chances but couldn't find the net.
Both managers made several changes during the match. Atyrau brought on Beybit Kereev and Mohammed Yensebaev for the second half, followed by Vasili Sovpel, Nurgaini Buribayev, and Bektemir Abdumannonov in the 60th minute. Okzhetpes introduced Đorđe Maksimović and Henrique Devens at 74, Usevalad Sadovski at 76, and later Đorđe Pantelić and Ebenezer Ofori.
Atyrau dominated possession at 54 percent and registered 63 attacks, but their shot accuracy was just 11 percent—only two efforts on target from ten attempts. Okzhetpes, with 46 percent possession, were more clinical with six shots on target and a 43 percent accuracy rate. The visitors also had only two corners compared to the hosts' eight, yet they put the game to bed when it mattered.
Three yellow cards fell to Atyrau—Yan Trufanov, Mario Rabiu, and Konstantin Dorofeev—while Okzhetpes kept a clean disciplinary record. The home side have now won three, drawn eleven, and lost eight of their 22 league matches. Okzhetpes' record of 11 wins, six draws, and six defeats from 23 games keeps them clear of the mid-table pack.
The result closes a narrow gap in the upper half of the table. With two points between fourth and fifth, every match carries weight. Okzhetpes fancy their chances of holding position, while Atyrau have hit a wall that may prove difficult to scale before the season closes.