Shamil Asildarov led Terek to a dominant 3-1 win away to FC Krasnodar on Saturday, scoring the opener and setting up a second.
The result lifts Terek to 10th in the table and gives the Chechen team an 11-point cushion above the relegation zone, while Krasnodar remain ninth.
Krasnodar came close to a goal within seconds of the start, but Oleg Samsonov and Pavel Golyshev were unable to apply the finish in a goalmouth scramble.
Asildarov opened the scoring on seven minutes with a diving header for his second goal of 2012 and set up the second with a cross for new signing Maciej Rybus to score with a deflected effort, before Igor Lebedenko scored Terek’s third on 21 minutes to further extend the Chechen team’s lead.
The match fizzled out after Terek’s third, until Terek goalkeeper Soslan Djanaev was sent off on 72 minutes for a foul on substitute Igor Pikushchak.
Otar Martsvaladze’s resulting penalty was saved by substitute goalkeeper Yaroslav Godzyur.
Moldovan forward Pikushchak went on to score a consolation goal for Krasnodar with a tap-in on 87 minutes.
Krasnodar will next play 13th-placed FC Volga, while Terek face Rostov.
