May 13, 2024
Round 9 in the 2024 Belarus Women’s Premier League saw the first meeting this season between the two Minsk giants, Dinamo BGU Minsk and FK Minsk.
With FK Minsk beating Dinamo BGU 1-0 in the Super Cup pre-season curtain raiser there were thoughts that perhaps this season’s title contest might be a closer contest than in the previous three years.
Theses diaries’ review of Week 3 of the season covered all the transfer ins and outs, with both clubs looking weaker on paper than last year.
https://fatbearssportingdiaries.blogspot.com/2024/04/review-belarus-2024-womens-premier.html
Both sides came into this fixture with 100% records. FK Minsk had scored 64 goals in their 8 wins but had conceded a goal to both Bobruichanka and Dnepr Mogilev. Mozambique striker Kuta was their top scorer with 9 goals.
Dinamo-BGU had scored 70 goals in their 7 wins but conceded a goal against Vitebsk. Anastasia Shuppo was the league’s leading scorer with 13.
Match Report
FK Minsk made a lively start, with the tigerish Valeria Belaya seemingly everywhere on the pitch. With less than three minutes played Miroshnichenko’s smart pass put Ninika in behind Sitnikova, but the Mozambique chose to play across goal rather than going for goal herself, but unfortunately for her no-one was on hand for the tap in. The ball rolled on to Voskobovich but her effort from a tight angle was blocked by Kapysha.
Dinamo tried to immediately respond but Minsk keeper Gryaznova was alert to leave her area to clear a dangerous looking long ball. Pilipenko then played in 17 year old Anastasia Kovaleva but again Gryzanova prevented the danger with a brave block at the feet of the Dinamo forward, and the loose ball was cleared.
Minsk though continued to look the better side until Shuppo determinedly got to the by-line, and although Belaya got a foot to divert her low cross, the ball reached Pilipenko close to the penalty spot but the veteran’s shot on the turn went a couple of feet over the bar.
The high tempo nature of the game continued as Belaya found Miroshnichenko in space, but her left-footed chip to the far post was easily caught by Dinamo keeper Kovalchuk.
With 16 minutes played, Shuppo again got to the by-line for Dinamo but after a scramble around the Minsk 6 yard box involving Artishevskaya and Kovaleva, Manyukova’s effort was blocked and Stankevich hoofed clear for a throw-in.
Dinamo then lost possession and a quick ball forward gave Lada Pashkovskaya a chance to motor towards the Dinamo goal from the half-way line. It looked like Kapysha had closed her down and forced her wide, but the Under 19 international was able to get a shot away despite Kapysha’s attempted sliding block, and the ball flew into the near top corner. Keeper Kovalchuk probably would have been disappointed to have been beaten at her near post, but it was 0-1 after 17 minutes.
Almost immediately from the restart a long ball put Kovaleva clear, but Kiyanka was able to get back to make a goal saving tackle, but got hurt in the process. Minsk had to play with 10 players for a couple of minutes whilst she received treatment off the pitch.
Artishevskaya then twisted and turned on the edge of the area, but her left footed shot slipped a couple of feet wide. Dinamo then gave possession away, but Kuta had her attempt from the edge of the area blocked by a Dinamo defender.
After 26 minutes, Dinamo made the first substitution of the game. Left-back Kapysha was withdrawn, with Maher coming on to play on the right and Slesarchik moved to the left. There didn’t appear to be any injury so presumably it was an early tactical change.
Minsk then nearly gifted a goal to Dinamo by carelessly giving the ball away in their own half, but Voskobovich did well to shield the ball away from Kovaleva, enabling Gryzanova to gather.
Dinamo’s substitution then quickly reaped its reward as Slesarchik ran down the left-wing and crossed towards the penalty spot. Shuppo managed to get to the ball, fend off Asaula to shoot left-footed across goal from 14 yards. The ball struck the post, and with the Minsk keeper on the floor and Zubko ball watching, Manyukova reacted the quickest to side-foot the ball into the empty net. 1-1 after 33 minutes.
The visitors reacted well to being pegged back, as Pashkovskaya released Asaula to unexpectedly run into the right-hand channel and get to the by-line, only for her low cross to be put out for a corner. Miroshnichenko‘s delivery was punched away from under her own bar by Kovalchuk, and when the ball was reworked out wide back to Miroshnichenko, her in-swinging cross was dropped by the Dinamo keeper under pressure from Belaya, but she was able to grab at the second attempt ahead of Zubko.
After 40 minutes, Manyukova pounced on a partial clearance but her shot from the edge of the area sailed just over the bar. Dinamo were finishing the half well and Pilipenko did well to get to the left by-line, but her low cross was pushed away by the diving Gryaznova before it could reach Artishevskaya.
However, Dinamo were not to be denied and Pilipenko dispossessed Belaya inside the Dinamo half and launched a swift counterattack. Manyukova played a splendid defence splitting ball over Pashkovskaya and Kiyanka to put Kovaleva on goal, and a crisp first-time left-footed finish beyond the advancing keeper made it 2-1 after 44 minutes.
The substitution made by Dinamo had swung the game in their favour, and in an effort to counter-act this, FK Minsk made two changes at half-time, taking off two of the defenders, although these may have been injury related.
However, this failed to have the desired impact and it looked like Dinamo had increased their lead in the 49th minute. Maher’s ball in from the right appeared to have been flicked home at the near post by Artishevskaya, getting to it ahead of Gryaznova. The replay showed however, that the ball had been turned in by Stankevich for an own goal, but the referee disallowed the goal for offside against Artishevskaya, and Pilipenko was then shown a yellow card, presumably for something said to the official.
Minsk then enjoyed a short spell of pressure. Miroshnichenko swung in a free kick towards a crowd of players, but Belaya’s header was blocked by Sitnikova and gathered by Kovalchuk before it rolled off for a corner, and then after Slesarchik gave the ball away by passing straight to Diana Bakum, the Minsk substitute wasted a promising position by optimistically opting to shoot from close to 35 yards, and Kovalchuk had a very easy save to make.
At the other end, Artishevskaya got to the by-line, but her low pull back was dived upon by the Minsk keeper. Play then became scrappy with neither side able to exert any control but when there was a mix-up between Kovalchuk and Maher in the Dinamo defence trying to deal with Belaya’s long ball forward, Bakum was unable to take advantage.
Dinamo fashioned another good chance in the 59th minute when Manyukova made a good run down the right wing, but her cross was volleyed over by Pilipenko from close to the penalty spot.
Dinamo came close again in the 64th minute. Cherlenok’s header from a corner crashed against the bar and Artishevskaya’s follow-up header looped goalwards, but Belaya was able to head off the line, and eventually Minsk cleared their lines.
Minsk were now struggling to get a foothold into the match, and Kovaleva got past Voskobovich but Demidova made an important block. Shuppo then sent a snap shot over the bar from 10 yards after Stankevich had headed away Slesarchik’s cross.
Minsk finally put together a dangerous move in the 69th minute when Kuta put Bakum clear on goal. It looked like Sitnikova had brought down Bakum in the act of shooting, but the referee judged no foul and play continued. It wasn’t clear from the replay whether or not Sitnikova had managed to get a touch to ball first.
Minsk’s play was increasingly becoming disjointed as they chased the game, and they were regularly being caught out on the counter attack. With 14 minutes remaining, Pilipenko showed good chest control but her shot on the turn was sliced high, and Gryaznova made an easy catch.
Minsk did force a corner, which was punched away from under her own bar by Kovalchuk, before with 8 minutes left to play, they created a decent chance, but Belaya headed Bakum’s curling right-wing cross narrowly wide from just outside the 6 yard line.
In the 85th minute an obvious bodycheck was committed on Kuta, but the referee thought otherwise and Dinamo quickly countered as Kovaleva found Pilipenko, but the ball in the centre of the goal was glanced well wide by Sinyavskaya. Pilipenko then put Kovaleva in space, but the left footed shot was straight at the keeper.
As the clock ticked into added on time, Minsk were becoming increasing desperate and Bakum chose the wrong option by hopefully shooting from over 30 yards out rather than look for a better placed team-mate, but the bail sailed several feet over.
Dinamo were able to wind down the clock with consecutive corners to keep Minsk pinned in their own half, and still had chances to add to their score. After Shuppo did well on the right, her ball into the goalmouth rebounded to Sinyavskaya but the shot from 10 yards hit the Minsk keeper, and with virtually the last play of the match Pilipenko’s chip took a deflection off Stankevich but Gryaznova was able to change direction and make the catch.
At the final whistle, Dinamo claimed the three points to make an important statement in the 2024 title race. On the balance of play Dinamo were deserved winners and looked to have more creativity in their side than Minsk, for whom much depended on Belaya. Minsk though were missing Viktoria Kazakevich from their defence, which may have made a big difference.
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otvetz5mJCg
Dinamo-BGU Minsk : Kovalchuk – Slesarchik, Sitnikova, Cherlenok, Kapysha ( Maher ) – Shuppo, Manyukova, Sas, Pilipenko – Artishevskaya ( Sinyavskaya ), Kovaleva
FK Minsk : Gryaznova – Kiyanka ( Samoilova ), Asaula ( Bakum ), Stankevich, Demidova – Pashkovskaya, Voskobovich ( Godinskaya ), Belaya, Miroshnichenko ( Tsanwane ), Zubko ( Uzun ) - Kuta
