Nizhny Novgorod vs Volga Ulyanovsk

Pari NN looked set for another comfortable home win but let a two-goal cushion slip against Ulyanovsk, settling for a 2-2 draw in round 9 of the FNL. It was a frustrating collapse for the league leaders, who dominated the first half only to watch the visitors claw their way back. Vyacheslav Grulev put the hosts ahead in the 14th minute, and Vladislav Sarveli doubled the advantage ten minutes later to make it 2-0. But Ulyanovsk refused to fold: Astemir Khashkulov halved the deficit right before the break in the 38th minute, and Andrey Nikitin completed the comeback with the equalizer in the 62nd minute. The result does little to dent Pari NN's position at the top of the table, where they sit on 22 points from nine games, though it was a missed chance to stretch their advantage. Ulyanovsk, 14th with 7 points from eight matches, will take real encouragement from the fightback as they head into their next home game.