Metalist 0 – 2 Dynamo: Ship The Trophy!

By: Yevy | March 4th, 2009

If they were to mount a challenge to Dynamo’s title aspirations down the stretch, Metalist Kharkiv knew they had to take all three points when they faced the leaders on Wednesday. On a terrific run of form and having already handed Dynamo a loss in Kiev, the hosts certainly did not lack in confidence. But the 1-2 setback came seven months ago in Round 3, and Yuri Semin’s side have improved by leaps and bounds since then. Dynamo ran out of Metalist Stadium with a deserved 2-0 victory, extending the gap on the second place hosts to nine points and erasing any doubts about the identity of the best team in the Ukrainian Premier League.

Speculation of both sides playing this match close to the vest ahead of their looming clash in the UEFA Cup proved unfounded. Semin made one change to the eleven that got through Valencia last week, returning to the 4-4-2 with Artem Milevskiy back in the lineup ahead of Serhiy Kravchenko. Metalist boss Myron Markevych also fielded his strongest side. But the hosts had to do without flu-ridden Ukraine international Marko Devic. Midfielder Denys Oliynyk, purchased from Dynamo over the break, could not take part in the first meeting against his former club as per the terms of the transfer.

Dynamo enjoyed the brighter start, but it was Metalist hit man Jaja Coelho who put the first shot on target, testing Stanyslav Bohush from the edge of the area. Dynamo continued to build the pressure, and it paid off just past the quarter hour. Oleksandr Aliyev’s low delivery from a corner kick was met at the near post by Taras Mykhalyk. The defender got his toe on the ball, and his deflected effort could not be corralled by keeper Oleksandr Goryainov before it had crossed the goal line. The vehement protests by the home players were without merit, and earned Seweryn Gancarczyk a yellow card. The Polish defender should have been sent off after his awful challenge on Milevskiy ten minutes later, but referee Vitaliy Godulyan took pity on the Metalist vice-captain. Ognjen Vukojevic had a golden chance to put Dynamo two up, but his close range shot was parried for a corner. At the other end Jaja’s free kick had to be punched clear by Bohush, with Jonathan Maidana’s follow-up overhead effort going high. In the dying moments of the half Edmar went down in the Dynamo area and appealed for a penalty, but instead was shown a yellow card for diving. The Metalist players once again surrounded the referee in an attempt to influence his decision, but we all know the futility of this tactic.

The first action of the second half brought even more controversy. Chasing a long ball from Carlos Correa, Artem Kravets was brought down by Papa Gueye. The referee judged the Senegalese defender was the last man back, and produced a straight red card. The home fans showed their displeasure by pelting Godulyan with snowballs. They may have had a legitimate complaint, as both Kravets and Gueye were involved in a physical battle for position which the Dynamo striker won before going to ground. But in truth the hosts should have been down to ten men long before, and the behavior of their players and fans towards the officials was downright shameful. The sending off forced Markevych into a tactical change, bringing on defender Andriy Berezovchuk for midfielder Oleksandr Rykun. With their hopes dwindling, Metalist were reduced to shooting from distance, Bohush having no trouble with the effort from international teammate Serhiy Valyayev. Dynamo looked determined to capitalize on the man advantage and ice the match, and it was their European hero Kravets who did the honors. A perfectly weighted Roman Eremenko pass from the right flank found the young striker racing in behind the defense, and with Goryainov off his line Kravets took a touch to create the proper angle before smashing the ball into the net. Metalist tried to come up with a consolation goal near the end, but all of their attempts were turned away by Bohush and the Dynamo defense. Of particular note was the introduction of Oleh Husyev in the final minutes, his first taste of action since injuring his knee last spring. The versatile midfielder has been working hard to return to fitness and could be a major contributor for Dynamo the rest of the season.

In this first of three meetings with Metalist, Dynamo once again showed they are the team to beat in Ukraine, creating even more breathing room at the top of the table in the process. But they cannot afford a let up as Markevych’s side will be strengthened and full of belief when the clubs meet at Lobanovsky Stadium in a week’s time. The Metalist manager chalked up this result to referee bias and Dynamo taking advantage of their “half chances”, no doubt looking to maintain his players’ confidence. For his part Semin dismissed the notion that his side benefited from the officiating:

I saw a match between two even teams. We were a bit nervous and tense at the start. Scoring off the set piece early on made things easier, as Metalist were forced to open up. I thought we looked good physically, and I am grateful to the players for a job well done. As for the red card, Kravets was breaking away and was pushed from behind. What else do you expect the referee to do?

1-0 Mykhalyk ‘17

2-0 Kravets ‘67