Ilyin, Glushakov and Berisha seal crucial comeback win to Akhmat in relegation six-pointer

Krylia Sovetov Samara 2-4 Akhmat Grozny
Friday 19 June, Samara Arena

Goals: Burlak 6’, Glushenkov 89’; Ilyin 54’, 66’, Glushakov 61’, Berisha 69’

Man of the Match: Denis Glushakov

A four-goal blitz after half time from Akhmat Grozny blew relegation rivals Krylia Sovetov Samara out of the water as Vladimir Ilyin, Denis Glushakov and Bernard Berisha all scored within a 15 minutes. It was just reward for a dominant display that produced almost three times as many attempts on goal as their hosts.

Krylia actually started the brighter side. Taras Burlak swept home from close range just six minutes into the RPL’s restart after Nikita Chernov glanced on a corner. Zoran Nizic was deceived by the feint touch and left Burlak unmarked at the crucial moment.

After a slow start, Oleg Ivanov’s looped header that drifted well over from was about the only early attack of note from Akhmat Grozny on 10 minutes. They gradually worked their way back into the game though Miroslav Bogosavac delicately skipped over one challenge before slipping Bernard Berisha through in the left channel. Chernov was on hand to turn the Kosovan winger’s low cross behind.

On the other flank Odise Roshi was equally full of running, and managed to get in behind Dmitriy Kombarov 10 minutes before the break. The former Spartak Moscow full-back recovered enough to force Roshi’s shot harmlessly wide into the side netting.

Ismael Silva’s rocket was batted away by Frolov, but only temporarily averted the danger. In the ensuing melee Berisha chipped the ball back into the middle where Roshi could only badly slice a snapshot volley.

A minute after the restart Ilyin turned a swinging Bogosavac cross towards the far post, but Frolov palmed it away at full stretch. Moments later Maksim Nenakhov latched onto a loose ball only to blaze wildly over when in space.

On 55th minute the pressure told. Denis Glushakov patiently made an inch of space to smack a powerful shot against the post from outside the box, and Ilyin was on hand to finish into the roof of the net with his second touch.

With their tails up Akhmat pressed a few minutes later as Ilyin evaded three challenges only to see his shot blocked. Bogosavac was alert to latch onto a loose ball and thread it through to Glushakov in the six yard box to calmly control and stroke home.

With Krylia in disarray Ilyin held off Chernov’s challenge in the box after collecting a loose ball from Glushakov’s blocked shot. A huge deflection off Burlak wrongfooted Frolov as the former FC Ural striker claimed his sixth RPL goal of the campaign.

A messy attack saw Krylia caught out as Glushakov’s long pass down the right put Roshi clear against fellow winger Zinkovskiy. Roshi had little trouble turning his out-of-position opponent inside out before laying a low cross on a plate for Berisha to tap in.

Evgeniy Gorodov was alert to Artem Timofeev’s delicate lob with just over quarter of an hour remaining, but two minutes from time Maksim Glushenkov was rewarded for an industrious display with a well-placed header from Alexandru Gatcan’s left-footed chipped cross.

Krylia Sovetov Samara: Frolov, Zeffane, Burlak, Chernov, Kombarov, Timofeev, Gatcan, Kabutov (Golenkov 64’), Popovic, Zinkovskiy, Glushenkov

Akhmat Grozny: Gorodov, Nenakhov, Semenov, Nizic, Bogosavac, Ismael Silva, Glushakov, Berisha, Ivanov, Roshi, Ilyin