Chernomorets Novorossijsk vs S. Kostroma

Chernomorets Novorossiysk took an early lead at home but Spartak Kostroma bounced back to claim a gritty 1-2 victory in the FNL's 28th round — even after being reduced to ten men. Aleksandr Khubulov put the hosts in front in just the 9th minute, but Spartak levelled through Nikolai Tarasov on 26 minutes. The drama intensified when Denis Zhilmostnykh was shown a second yellow card on 55 minutes, leaving the visitors a man down. Undeterred, Kostroma were awarded a penalty after a handball in the box, and Djordje Pantelic coolly converted on 73 minutes to seal an unlikely comeback. The defeat is a damaging one for Chernomorets, who sit 15th in the table and are running out of time to climb clear of danger. For Spartak Kostroma, camped in fourth place and chasing promotion, this disciplined, hard-fought win away from home says everything about their character this season.