1-1 draw in Ukraine

30/11 2011 23:47

FC Copenhagen went into their fifth UEFA Europa League tie knowing a victory was paramount if progression to the knock out stage of the tournament was to be achieved. A resolute FC Vorskla Poltava stood in the Danish champions’ way on a freezing night in the heart of the Ukraine.

by Joe Short

Head coach Roland Nilsson named his strongest possible XI for the game, Christian Bolaños the most notable inclusion in the line up having sat out the HB Køge game at the weekend as a precaution. Dame N’Doye was also back in the attack following a domestic suspension.

Copenhagen started brightly, playing the ball around with confidence and finding their feet on the cold foreign turf. Opportunities were rare however, and bar a half chance for Vorskla cleared by Johnny Thomsen, it was 14 minutes before a shot on goal, Claudemir firing high over the crossbar after a heavy touch inside the box.

At the other end Johan Wiland could do nothing but watch as Pavlo Rebenok sent a deflected effort onto the Swedish keeper’s crossbar and over to safety. Bolaños was then handed a golden opportunity to open the scoring after quick passing from N’Doye and César Santin put the winger through on goal. Quick thinking from Vorskla keeper Serhiy Velychko forced Bolaños to run out of touch however.

N’Doye suffers stroke of bad luck

It was 27 minutes before the first FCK shot on target, Pape Pate Diouf bringing the ball down off his chest but finding Velychko with the resulting effort. Moments later and it was Wiland’s turn to be on alert as Oleg Krasnopyorov danced through the Lions defence, only to be blocked four yards from goal by a strong Swedish leg.

Wiland could do nothing three minutes later however, when Vorskla took the lead in the cruellest of fashions on the half hour. N’Doye, dong his defensive duties, met an in-swinging corner, but mistimed his clearance. Rather than see the ball sail into the distance, the FCK players could only stand and stare as it ballooned off N’Doye’s thigh and past Wiland.

Rather than become deflated by the stroke of bad fortune, the goal somewhat spurred Copenhagen on, and the away side enjoyed a period of pressure following the incident. Bryan Oviedo hit the Vorskla byline on 34 minutes but his cross couldn’t find either striker in the box.

Striker finishes off fine team move

Copenhagen would not have to wait long for an equaliser however, and what could be more fitting than for N’Doye to round off a superb team goal. Claudemir in the centre of the park played the ball forward to Bolaños, who turned and flicked on to N’Doye. The striker provided Santin with the ball back to goal, and as the Brazilian attracted both central defenders, N’Doye slipped past to receive the ball from his strike partner. All the Senegalese had to do was chip over the advancing Velychko to give all 50 hardy travelling fans something to cheer about.

Before the break Wiland was again called into action to prevent Ivan Kryvosheyenko from pouncing on a loose ball following an Oviedo slip, and it was evident the FCK left back was carrying an injury. Nilsson therefore made two changes at half time, hoping to improve on the current 1-1 scoreline. Oviedo and Diouf left the field for Pierre Bengtsson and Martin Vingaard.

The first real chance of the second half fell to Vorskla, and what a chance it was. A half-cleared cross fell to the on-rushing Armend Dallku, who sent a thunderbolt of a volley towards goal. Wiland didn’t just parry the shot, he clawed it away from danger with cat-like reactions, preventing a sure goal.

Deep defence makes life tough

As the half progressed, Vorskla sat back deeper and deeper. The home side’s tactics evidently changed, with the counter attack being put to full use. On 65 minutes a Grindheim slip gave Jovan Markoski a scoring chance, but again Wiland saved. Substitute Andriy Oberemko then sent two efforts in quick succession wide of goal as FCK tried to push men up the field in search of a needed winning goal.

With 15 minutes remaining N’Doye made room for himself on the left wing, cut inside but could only find Velychko. Ten minutes of Copenhagen possession with no real penetration followed. In fact, it was at the other end where the action was happening. Wiland made a world-class save to prevent a Vorska striker from scoring, before Bengtsson blocked Oberemko’s rebound on the goal line.

As the clock ticked down Nordstrand was played through on the right of the area, but as he set himself to shoot Oleksiy Kurilov blocked the effort. A resulting long Claudemir throw fell to N’Doye, who subsequently volleyed Copenhagen’s final chance over the bar.

FC VORSKLA POLTAVA: 1 FC COPENHAGEN: 1

FC Vorskla Poltava: Velychko (C), Dallku, Krasnopyorov, Bezus, Markoski, Kryvosheyenko, Peskov, Januzi, Selin, Kurilov, Rebenok.

FC Copenhagen: Wiland (C), Thomsen, Ottesen, Sigurdsson, Oviedo, Bolaños, Grindheim, Claudemir, Diouf, Santin, N’Doye.

Goals: N’Doye (o.g.), Vorskla Poltava (31’), N’Doye (37’).

Referee: Aleksei Kulbakov.