Neftekhimik vs FK Sochi

Sochi made the trip to Nizhnekamsk count, racing into a two-goal lead before the break and then weathering a second-half push to beat Neftekhimik 1-2 in Round 7 of the First League. The visitors' early control of the game proved decisive, with the hosts unable to find an equalizer despite plenty of late pressure. Marcelo Alves opened the scoring in the 29th minute, finishing off a assist from Artem Makarchuk, and Ruslan Magal made it two right on the stroke of half-time in the 45th to leave Neftekhimik facing an uphill battle. The hosts got a foothold back in the contest through Islam Mashukov, who converted a chance created by Vasily Aleynikov in the 60th minute, but a second goal never arrived. The result extends a strong run for Sochi, who came into the match in fine form and keep themselves firmly in the promotion picture. For Neftekhimik, it's another frustrating afternoon in a stretch of inconsistent results, and they'll need to sharpen up at both ends of the pitch to turn their season around.