Match Report
On paper the standings were lopsided — Metalist 1925 Kharkiv 3rd with 56 points, VPK-Ahro Shevchenkivka 10th with 37, 19 apart. The last five rounds placed VPK-Ahro Shevchenkivka 4th in the league for form — higher than their 10th in the standings. Scoring rates set the scale: Metalist 1925 Kharkiv 1.2 scored and 0.73 conceded per game, VPK-Ahro Shevchenkivka 1 and 1.6, with the league averaging 1.24.
Momentum sat with Metalist 1925 Kharkiv, winners of their last three. Defeat had followed defeat for VPK-Ahro Shevchenkivka — three in succession. Over the last five, Metalist 1925 Kharkiv had taken 11 of 15 points to VPK-Ahro Shevchenkivka's 4.
The match was played at Oblasny SportKomplex Metalist (capacity 40,003). Half-time and full-time told different stories: it was 1-1 at the break, before 1 more goal closed it at 1-2.
Goal scorers
Metalist 1925 Kharkiv: Y. Batyushin (26') · VPK-Ahro Shevchenkivka: O. Belyaev (11'), B. Shmygelskyi (90')