Last-Minute Victory
In the last home game of 2014 Miodrag Bozovic allowed Alexey Miranchuk to show himself. Together with Maicon, the young talent started. Alan Kasaev stayed out of the roster due to a minor injury, while Manuel Fernandes sat in the dugout.
The match started quite slowly but soon Lokomotiv had a good chance. Alexander Samedov crossed for Ndoye who was waiting for the ball in the box. However, the defenders managed to cover him.
The visitors responded with a dangerous attack: Fidler received the ball in the box and drove it towards the goal – luckily, Ilya Abaev handled it. A couple of minutes later Fyodor Smolov tried to send it in and again Abaev grabbed the ball.
On 30 minutes the Red-Greens suffered a loss when Vitaliy Denisov was injured and left the pitch. Pejcinovic came on to replace him.
Minutes later Vedran Corluka scored a spectacular header but only after a linesman had signaled an offside. The referee cancelled the goal and allowed the play to continue.
Shortly before half-time the hosts had a couple of scoring opportunities. Samedov crossed from a free kick, Lokomotiv players won the high ball but failed to produce an actual strike. Soon, however, Miranchuk set up for Maicon: Alexey carried the ball up the centre and back-heeled to Maicon who got checked the very last moment.
After the restart, the young midfielder again was busy setting up for his partners. Dribbling at a marker on the left flank, Alexey centered for Ndoye who sent the ball a bit wide.
Lokomotiv had the initiative throughout the second half but kept failing to use it to their advantage. Just 15 minutes to the final whistle did Fernandes try to take a shot on frame and sent it just a fraction wide.
By 80 minutes Lokomotiv completely locked Ural on their side and started bombarding. Two consecutive corner kicks could have been effective, especially when the ball hit the crossbar.
But in the end of the day Lokomotiv scored. Boussoufa crossed from a corner to the near post, Pejcinovic headed it on to the far post for Ndoye who sent it home.
Lokomotiv secured an important victory that keep them in the race for the champions title, now at arm’s length from the top three.
Lokomotiv - Ural 1:0 (0:0)
Goal: Ndoye, 90.
Lokomotiv: Abaev, Shishkin, Corluka, Durica, Denisov (Pejcinovic, 30), Mykhalyk (Sheshukov, 73), Samedov, Alexey Miranchuk, Boussoufa, Maicon (Fernandes, 71), Ndoye.
Ural: Zabolotniy, Khozin, Ottesen, Fontanello, Dantsev, Yemelyanov (Asevedo, 59), Fidler, Stavpets, Yerokhin, Yaroshenko, Smolov (Gogniyev, 59).
Yellow cards: Yemelyanov, 18. Stavpets, 35. Boussoufa, 53.
Referee: Kirill Levnikov (Saint Petersburg)
December 3. Moscow. Lokomotiv Stadium.
