November 28, 2021
The Belarus
Premier League 2021 season reaches its final day, with some medal places already
determined, but with several others still up for grabs !
Champions
: Shakhtyor Soligorsk
Runners-Up
: BATE Borisov or
Dinamo Minsk
Fourth : Gomel or Rukh ( will qualify for
the Europa Conference if BATE or Dinamo Minsk win the 2021/22 Belarus Cup )
Relegation
Play-off :
Energetik, Neman or Slavia. In the event of two sides being level on points the
respective records against each other will coming into play. Neman have a
better record against both Energetik and Slavia, but Energetik and Slavia have
the same record against each other so it will come down to goal-difference,
where Slavia currently hold a three goal advantage. FK Minsk are safe as Energetik
can only draw level on points with them, and Minsk have the better head-to-head
record. Slutsk are save as Energetik can’t over take them once the 3 points
from the Sputnik default are added to Slutsk’s points tally.The loser will play
either NFK Krumkachy or Volna Pinsk over two-legs
Relegated
: Smorgon and
Sputnik
Promoted
: Arsenal
Dzerzhinsk & Belshina Bobruisk
BATE Borisov vs FK
Vitebsk ( Sunday @ 10.00 UK time )
BATE are hot
favourites to take second place having lost only one home match all season,
whilst with 4 consecutive losses, Vitebsk have given the impression of having
gone on holiday several weeks ago. 2-0
Result : 4-0. For
nearly 70 minutes it looked like the Big Blue Bus of Vitebsk had returned after
a lengthy spell off the road for extensive repairs. A combination of
resolute defending, good goal-keeping and, on two occasions the woodwork, had succeeding
in thwarting BATE’s aspirations of finishing second. However, once Gromyko was
given space to turn and run at the defence and curl a left-footed shot from
outside of the area into the bottom corner for an outstanding individual goal,
the wheels fell off the proverbial bus.
Three goals in the
last 10 minutes, from Signevich, Yablonski ( a 20 yard screamer ) and Yusov saw
BATE ease to the three points and the runners-up medals.
FK Slavia Mozyr vs Dinamo
Minsk ( Sunday @ 10.00 UK time )
A win for Slavia would
ensure their safety regardless of results elsewhere. Dinamo are still in the
hunt for the runners-up place, but may only have pride to play for depending on
the news from Borisov. 1-2
Result : 0-0. Despite
the score line, this was a cracking match, especially towards the end with
Slavia throwing caution to the wind in search of the goal needed to win the
match and so avoid the relegation play-offs, but at the same time leaving
themselves open to counter-attacks from Dinamo. There must have been at least
10 good chances in an end-to-end last 10 minutes, evenly split between the two
sides, which neither side could take. Slavia’s players were particularly guilty
of going for glory rather than passing to a better placed colleague.
Encouraged by a
boisterous and hostile home crowd, Slavia played above themselves, but
ultimately it wasn’t enough on the day. Dinamo keeper Khatkevich gave a
reminder as to why he became the national keeper last season with three fine
saves to deny Essogo and another 12 minutes from time from Alshanik. Dinamo
also had some good chances, in the first half Selyava hit the post and Bakhar
shot narrowly over.
Rukh Brest vs Dinamo
Brest ( Sunday @ 10.00 UK time )
Both sides played last
week as if they wished the season had ended. However, the Brest derby should focus
minds and attract a decent crowd. Rukh have never beaten Dinamo. 1-1
Result : 3-2. Both
sides belied their recent indifferent form to serve up an entertaining derby.
Rukh had the better of the first 25 minutes and it wasn’t too much of a
surprise when they took the lead, Shevchenko bending to head home Kontsevoy’s
corner. Dinamo though, were back on level terms with a minute thanks to Bilenkyi’s
exquisite turn to beat Grechikho and a calm finish beyond Pavlyuchenko.
Dinamo then had their
turn to be on top, and Pavlyuchenko made two top saves to prevent Potorocha
giving the “away” side the lead.
With the scores level
at half-time, Rukh took the lead 10 minutes into the second half when a sloppy
pass out from the back by Yasukevich was intercepted by Cepenkov, and a return
pass from Kontsevoy gave the Rukh midfielder a simple finish. Yet again though,
Rukh’s lead lasted barely a minute and Bilenkyi swept home the equalizer with 4
defenders in close attendance for his 13th goal of the season. Dinamo’s
Tikhonovskiy then hit the outside of the post when well placed.
The decisive moment of
the match came in the 79th minute when Yudchits poor control enabled
Kovalevich to steal possession from him and the Dinamo defender’s attempted to
recover the situation resulted in Kovalevich being brought down. Those of us expecting
Noyak’s penalty to find row Z or the car park were disappointed as the
spot-kick slammed into the roof of the net.
Dinamo were unable to
respond within a minute for the third time but as the game entered added on
time, Pavlychenko’s poor goal-kick went straight to Affi, and as the Dinamo centre-back
headed towards goal, Kiki had little alternative other than to bring him down
for an obvious red card. The free-kick from Lotysh was heading for the top
corner, but Pavlyuchenko manage to get a finger tip to push onto the post and
off for a corner.
Shakhtyor Soligorsk vs
FK Gomel ( Sunday @ 10.00 UK time )
Having won the title,
Shakhtyor have shown no signs of easing up and will be out to avenge their home
cup defeat to Gomel. Defeat could see Gomel finish 5th, which would
be disappointing after offering so much this season. 3-1
Result : 0-1. Just
like in the reverse fixture in Gomel, Andrei Solovei scored in the first
minute, running onto a flicked header to calmly round keeper Chernik to walk
the ball into the net, but this time there was to be no rousing come-back from
Shakhtyor. Chikida missed a good chance for Gomel, before Solovei had a goal
chalked off for off-side, which must have been a very marginal decision.
Solovei also saw an in-swinging corner rebound off a post and out to safety.
For Shakhtyor, Stasevich and Darboe had good chances but the visitors
deservedly led at the interval.
Shakhtyor were unable
to apply much pressure in the second half, and slipped to their first home
defeat of the season, as Gomel held on to finish 4th in a remarkable
first season back in the Premier League.
FK Isloch vs Energetik
BGU Minsk ( Sunday @ 10.00 UK time )
A must win for
Energetik and an Isloch side with 3 consecutive losses are just about the best
opposition they could face. Energetik though have just one win in their last 11
matches. 0-0
Result : 0-4.
Energetik ensured their survival for another season with an embarrassingly easy
victory over an Isloch side that showed little interest to compete. Energetik
took the lead in the 15th minute, Isloch’s Patotskiy passed straight
to Abdukhalikov, whose low shot from just outside of the corner nestled in the
corner of the net. It was effectively game over after 32 minutes when poor
defending from Shalashnikov allowed Mamadu to turn and smash home from just
outside the 6 yard area for 2-0.
Substitute Conde did
force Makavchik to make one decent save but any lingering doubt was removed by
a second yellow card just after the hour mark to Ruslan Lisakovich after a
needless challenge. Mamadu added his second, and Sokol thumped a free-kick
through the wall to complete the scoring. I doubt Isloch will be receiving many
Christmas cards from Slavia !
Neman Grodno vs
Torpedo BelAZ Zhodino ( Sunday @ 10.00 UK time )
Neman need a win to be
sure of survival but they have taken just one point from their last 5 matches,
although they did play the top four in that sequence. A win for Torpedo could
see them finish 6th, but Neman should get the result they need at
home. 2-0
Result : 3-1. Neman
comfortably achieved the win they required over a compliant Torpedo side. A
soft penalty award after 26 minutes put them on their way, when Premudrov was
adjudged to have brought down Olatund, and Gribovskiy despatched the spot-kick.
A nice move 10 minutes later saw Olatund play an inside pass for Shukurov to run
on to and fire past Abramovich in the Torpedo goal.
Gribovskiy was left in
freedom to smash home Neman’s third goal from 6 yards in the 56th
minute to confirm the home side’s safety, and although Torpedo did claim a
consolation goal from Premudrov it had no bearing on the final result.
FK Smorgon vs FK Minsk
( Sunday @ 10.00 UK time )
Neither side have
anything to play for. Smorgon have taken 5 points from their last 4 games and
continuing to battle despite having been doomed a long time ago. With Minsk now
safe, the Bears could bow out with a victory. 2-1
Result : 1-0. Smorgon
bowed out of the Belarus Premier League with a deserved final day win over
lacklustre FK Minsk. The only goal of the game came in the 25th
minute after Minsk midfielder Kozlov lost possession near half-way. Camara ran at the retreating Minsk back-line
and played the ball off to Nuradin, for the on-loan BATE striker to score his first
goal for Smorgon.
The winning margin
could have been greater but Minsk keeper Prishivalko made good second half
saves to deny Sibilev and Pasevich. Minsk rarely threatened and will be glad
the season is over.
Summary :
BATE Borisov 4-0 FK Vitebsk ( att : 2,160 )
FK Slavia Mozyr 0-0 Dinamo Minsk ( att : 3,350 )
Rukh Brest 3-2 Dinamo Brest ( att : 1,400 )
Shakhtyor Soligorsk 0-1 FK Gomel ( att : 1,205 )
FK Isloch 0-4 Energetik BGU Minsk ( att : 100 )
Neman Grodno 3-1 Torpedo BelAZ Zhodino ( att : 710 )
FK Smorgon 1-0 FK Minsk ( att : 233 )
Comments
So, the curtain came down on the 2021 season, with
BATE clocking up the expected home win over Vitebsk to secure second place.
leaving Dinamo Minsk in third place.
By inflicting Shakhtyor’s only home defeat of the
season, Gomel clinched an impressive 4th place finish, leaving Rukh
having to settle for a disappointing 5th place after their significant
investments.
After their extensive upheavals suffered before the
start of the season, a 6th place finish for Dinamo Brest was a
noteworthy achievement, but in perspective, 14th placed Slavia
gathered only 6 points fewer. Outside of the top 5 and the bottom 2, none of
the sides in the Premier League stood out and they all struggled to put together
any decent stretches of form. This did lead to a fascinating battle to avoid
the one relegation play-off position, and whilst Slavia will face NFK Krumkachy
for the right to remain in the Premier League, it could easily have been any
one of a number of sides. Nevertheless, if Slavia can repeat the form they
displayed in their 10 matches, where they only lost twice, they should be too
strong for the Ravens.
In the 7 matches, there were 19 goals, two
penalties ( both scored ) and two red cards.
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