In the opening contest of Sunday of match-day twenty-eight of the Sogaz Championship of Russia, defending champions Zenit Saint Petersburg defeated host Rostov 3-1.

Zenit wasted little time in their attack as nine minutes after the opening whistle Danny latched onto a sumptuous back heel on the left edge of the area before surging forward and driving the ball to the opposite corner of the net. Only six minutes later match day referee Timur Arslanbekov adjudged Igor Smolnikov a penalty, albeit a highly questionable decision, for bringing down Aleksandr Bukharov in the area with Aleksandar Luković converting for the subsequent effort. Two minutes past the half-hour Zenit strangled off their hosts hopes as Aleksandr Bukharov nodded a long left wing cross past Rostov ‘keeper Anton Kochenkov who had entered earlier for an injured Stipe Pletikosa.

Four minutes after the re-start Héctor Bracamonte pulled one back for Rostov with a sublime chip from the right side of the area but that would be as close as it would get as Zenit claimed the 3-1 result.

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Match-day twenty-seven of the Sogaz Championship of Russia saw host Krasnodar defeat Rostov 2-0, entrenching their mid-table position at the ninth spot.

Coming off their loss to Dynamo, Krasnodar manager was in need of a response in a “six point” contest and after goalkeeper Igor Usminskiy foiled Roman Adamov from the close range the hosts went in front in added-time before the break. Via Joãozinho’s long free-kick from the right, Evgeniy Shipitsyn nodded the ball past Rostov ‘keeper Stipe Pletikosa to give Krasnodar the advantage they would not relinquish.

After the break Rostov was in fine position to level but Roman Adamov headed Răzvan Cociş’ fine cross from the left over the bar. Krasnodar doubled the margin three minutes shy of the hour as Joãozinho caught Stipe Pletikosa out of the position and curled a free-kick from the right to the near post. For the balance of the Krasnodar was resolute defending the lead and with the final whistle the contest ended 2-0 in their favour.

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Courtesy of Igor Smolnikov’s late strike, host Rostov defeated Krylia Sovetov 1-0 in match-day twenty-six of the Sogaz Championship of Russia.

Coming off their stunning victory over Dynamo, Andrey Kobelev’s Krylia Sovetov was notably without the services of Belorusian international Sergey Kornilenko and saw chances sparse. From the opening whistle Rostov were the stronger of the two with Maksim Grigoryev and Héctor Bracamonte sending searing efforts the Krylia goalkeeper Sergey Veremko stretched out fully to deny.

After the break Rostov continued to dictate the play and resourceful defending, along with Răzvan Cociş rasping an effort off the woodwork maintained the deadlock. However with just under five minutes remaining in regulation time Igor Smolnikov latched onto the ball outside the area to the left and sent a wildly trailing effort to the top far corner to give Rostov the 1-0 victory.

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Rostov extended its unbeaten stretch with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over host Amkar Perm in match-day twenty-five of the Sogaz Championship of Russia.

After an opening half that was void of scoring chances Rostov notched the contests lone goal five minutes after the re-start as Héctor Bracamonte sent Roman Adamov through on the right via a long ball. With Amkar defender Mitar Novaković in hot pursuit the twenty-nine year old, capped thrice for Russia, surged into the right side of the area before firing the ball past ‘keeper Sergei Narubin from ten metres. Amkar immediately stepped up its charge but could not find a way past Stipe Pletikosa as Rostov left the Ural Mountains with the full three points with the 1-0 result.

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In the opening contest of Sunday in match day twenty-four of the Sogaz Championship of Russia, CSKA Moscow’s visit to Rostov proved costly as the Army-Men were held to a 1-1 draw, honours even.

Under warm autumn skies and coming off a short rest after from the mid-week Champions League clash against Lille Métropole, CSKA fell behind at the fifth minute as Estonian international Dmitri Kruglov served up his speciality with a low pile-driver free-kick from twenty-five metres to the near post.

Sergei Balakhnin’s looked to be heading for the massive upset until the sixty-fourth minute when a dreadful light pass near the right side of the area was raced onto Seydou Doumbia, resulting in the Ivorian striker navigating around ‘keeper Stipe Pletikosa and depositing the ball into the net from a tight angle. Now level, the Army-Men pushed for the winner but the veteran host goalkeeper was up to the challenge and the match concluded as a 1-1 draw, honours even.

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Courtesy of Răzvan Cociş’ late strike, Sergei Balakhnin’s Rostov defeated Spartak Nalchik 1-0 in match-day twenty-three of the Sogaz Championship of Russia.

Nalchik, desperate for points, saw their efforts fall apart at the eighty-third minute as Răzvan Cociş lodged the winning margin. Initiated from Khoren Bairamyan, who had just entered for Maksim Grigoryev, the nineteen year-old attacker fed the ball to Dmitri Kruglov on the left flank. Without wasting a step the ball was then crossed into the box for Roman Adamov who brought down with chest with Răzvan Cociş lashing into the net from ten metres to provide Rostov the 1-0 victory.

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Free-spending Anzhi Makhachkala needed a late goal from new signing Samuel Eto’o to rescue a 1-1 draw, honours even, with host Rostov in the final contest on Saturday of match-day twenty-one of the Sogaz Championship of Russia.

Anzhi, boasting a starting line-up that included the international pedigree of Roberto Carlos, Yuriy Zhirkov, Mbark Boussoufa and Balázs Dzsudzsák made little in-roads against their determined hosts. Chances were sparse until eighteen minutes remaining when Timofei Kalachev sent a well placed free-kick into the net to give Rostov the one-goal advantage. However eight minutes Yuriy Zhirkov crafted a brilliant equalizer as he navigated past three defenders on the right side of the area before delivering a cross for Samuel Eto’o that the new man turned into the net. Neither side was able to muster a serious change for the balance of the time as the match concluded as a 1-1 draw, honours even.

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In the final contest of Saturday in match day twenty of the Sogaz Championship of Russia, Dan Petrescu’s Kuban Krasnodar edged host Rostov 2-1.

The hosts took the lead in the first noteworthy attacking advance as Romanian international Dacian Varga delivered a perfectly placed corner from the left that veteran Zelão, left completely unmarked, headed powerfully into the net.

With chances sparse, veteran Héctor Bracamonte levelled at the fifty-seventh minute with his second goal in as many matches since joining Rostov as he headed a right wing cross into the net. The lead did not last long as six minutes later Lacina Traoré, formerly of CFR Cluj, disposed a Rostov defender of the ball near the left by-line before sliding it back to Marco Ureña for the close range finish. The match concluded without further incident as Kuban Krasnodar earned a 2-1 victory.

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In the final contest on Saturday of week nineteen of the Sogaz Championship of Russia, veteran striker Héctor Bracamonte found his scoring touch to lead Rostov past Volga Nizhny Novgorod 1-0, despite his side finishing with only nine men.

In a tightly played encounter, chances were sparse before Héctor Bracamonte notched the winning margin with eight minutes remaining in regulation time. Formerly a deadly striker with FC Moscow his output had plummeted since moving to Terek Grozny in the summer of 2009. Demonstrating his vast predatory skills the thirty-three year old striker zeroed on a loose ball following Timofei Kalachev’s corner from the right and delivered a left footed effort to the roof of the net from six metres. Sergei Balakhnin’s men were forced through a trying balance of time as Anis Boussaidi was sent off with a straight red-card, then joined by Alexandru Gaţcan at the eighty-eighth minute but with firm resolve they held onto the 1-0 victory.

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In the final contest of Sunday in match day eighteen of the Sogaz Championship of Russia, Lokomotiv Moscow devastated host Rostov 3-0.

The Railwayman went out in front at the eighth minute as Dmitri Loskov latched onto the ball on the left and from long distance delivered a stunning dipping drive into the net. It was his third goal in as many league matches as Lokomotiv never looked back. Rostov showed fine attacking impetus thereafter but each advance was culled in the final third with Lokomotiv ‘keeper Guilherme rarely under severe threat.

After the break, Rostov manager Sergei Balakhnin called upon Oleg Ivanov for Dragan Blatnjak but disaster struck at the fifty-second minute as Isaac Okoronkwo was adjudged a penalty for handling the ball in the area. In the ensuing effort Dmitri Sychev drilled his fifth goal of the campaign in the net to give the Railwayman the commanding two goal advantage. With nine minutes remaining in regulation, Dmitri Tarasov in his first appearance of the year side footed the ball from the top of the area to add an insurance goal. In the final stages Anri Khagush was sent off after a rash challenge but it made no impact in Lokomotiv Moscow earning a 3-0 victory.

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