Orenburg won their first winter training friendly match at the fifth time of asking by edging past Esbjerg 1-0. Mamadou Sylla’s first goal in Orenburg colours settled matters right after half time.

Sylla was involved in the brightest early moments for Orenburg. The Senegalese forward shot wide on 25 minutes with the first real chance for either side before snapping at a loose ball in a messy passage of play that had seen a Ricardo Alves effort blocked.

In the first major attack of the second half Georgi Zotov carried the ball a good 50 yards down the left flank before sliding a weighted pass round the full-back to Sylla. From well wide of the six-yard box he somehow squeezed a carefully placed shot across the keeper inside the far post.

Andrea Chukanov snatched at a volley from outside the box after an hour, before threading an incisive through ball to Danil Lipovoy with 12 minutes remaining. Before the latter chance, there was a nervy goal-mouth scramble at the other end which Timur Ayupov managed to clear.

Andrey Klimovich almost went from hero to zero with five minutes left. His magnificent diving save led to an Esbjerg corner, from which he totally misjudged the ball in. Although it was tapped over the line, the referee disallowed it for a foul.

Orenburg finish their second training camp against Spartaks Jurmala on Thursday 6 February.

Orenburg 1-0 Esbjerg
3 February, Belek, Turkey
Goal: Sylla 47’

Orenburg: Klimovich, Malykh (Kulishev 60’), Shakhov (Lapshov 60’), Radakovic (Gottlieb 60’), Sivakov (Ayupov 60’), Zotov (Chukanov 60’), Miskic (Kuat 60’), Rogic (Skoflek 60’), Alves (Lipovoy 60’), Sylla (Chernykh 60’), Despotovic (Fameye 60’)