Youth Team Draws Against Akhmat
In Round 21 of the Russian Youth Championship all leaders had won. The difference between the second and the sixth team was just five points. To keep up, Lokomotiv needed a victory over Akhmat. Win just one loss in eleven games, the team from Grozny is almost impossible to beat at home soil. On the contrary, their away statistic is way less impressive - just one win in nine games.
In the first half, Lokomotiv enjoyed total domination. Not even once in 45 minutes did Akhmat cross the half-way line, while our keeper Kasyanenko touched the ball only when his own defenders passed it back to entertain him. However, this did not bring us the abundance of opportunities - our first attempt came in the 25th minute, while the first real scoring opportunity appeared as late as in the 45th minute. Karev floated the ball into the center of the area where Gritsak took a touch and blasted but Bunkhoyev managed to stop the ball.
After the break, Lokomotiv made several substitutions: Chernyakov and Pershin came on. Chernyakov became the most active player in the second half with four attempts, while Pershin won difficult tackles in the box. And while in the first half Lokomotiv experienced problems with creating chances, in the second one we were clueless of how to convert. On 68 minutes Karev, Gritsak and Babkin broke three-on-one but the latter got into an offside position.
A minute later Karev connected with the ball after a cross from the left, passed an opposition player and sent it wide from 11 meters. On 83 minutes Baraboshkin lacked just one more step to finish off a pass to the far post. On 86 minutes Bunkhoyev saved Pershin’s attempt after a cross by Chernyakov.
17:1 in attempts, 6:0 in shots on goal, 65:35 in possession - Lokomotiv outperformed their rivals but still failed to convert it into three points - 0:0.
Russian Youth Championship. Round 21.
Lokomotiv (youth) - Akhmat (youth) – 0:0
Lokomotiv (youth): Kasyanenko, Petukhov, Morozov, Ushakhin, Babkin, Sharkov, M.Mukhin (Chernyakov, 78), Gritsak (Baraboshkin, 69), Karev, Matveyev, Turishchev (Pershin, 46)
Akhmat (youth): Bunkhoyev, Adamov, Im. Alsultanov, Denilkhanov (Adilkhanov, 12 (Artsuyev, 70), Dzhakuyev, Matsuyev, Sadulayev, Khakiyev (Edilbiyev, 91), Abzayev, Khintba (Dachayev, 58), Is. Alsultanov (Khamzatov, 62)
Bookings: Petukhov, 28. Abzayev, 46. Adamov, 73. Chungurov, 80.
Referee: Marina Krupskaya (Yekaterinburg)
March 8, 2020. Moscow, Sapsan Arena.