Viktoria Nikolaivka kept their perfect record at home on Sunday, beating Kolos Kovalivka II 2:0 in the First League. The hosts have now won 5 of 6 games this season. To be fair, the visitors had shown they could score against higher opposition earlier in the month.
The first goal came in the 49th minute when M. Boyko finished a move inside the box. The ball had been worked to the edge of the area after a series of short passes, and Boyko made no mistake with the finish. It was a simple finish that split the defence. The home side had created better chances in the opening half, but this was the moment they took.
Nine minutes later V. Khamelyuk doubled the advantage from the penalty spot. The referee awarded the spot-kick after a challenge in the area, and Khamelyuk stepped up to convert. He had already collected a booking in the 53rd minute, so he was playing with yellow cards hanging over him.
The match produced 7 yellow cards in total, which says something about the intensity rather than the quality of football on display. S. Sharay, D. Hryshchenko, D. Kirichenko and I. Melnychenko all joined the list after the half-hour mark. By then the game had settled into a pattern of home dominance and away frustration.
Viktoria Nikolaivka remain top of the table with 16 points from 6 fixtures. Kolos Kovalivka II sit 13th with 6 points and 4 defeats, and the gap between them is now 10 points. The visitors have lost 4 of their 6 games and are running out of games to turn things around. They will need to find a way to win away from home if they want to climb the table.