MOSCOW, November 25 (R-Sport) - Two goals and an assist from Bulgaria forward Ivelin Popov helped FC Kuban to a 4-1 win over Krylya Sovetov on Sunday.
Kuban move up to fourth in the table with the win as Krylya founder in 13th after a sixth straight defeat that leaves them three points above the relegation zone.
Popov helped put Kuban ahead on 18 minutes when his perfectly weighted ball over the top found Ibrahima Balde, and the Senegal striker scored his eighth goal of the season with a calm finish.
Seconds after the restart, Popov got his name on the scoresheet for the first time when he charged down the right flank on a counter-attack before cutting inside and slicing the ball past goalkeeper Sergei Veremko.
Krylya, coached by caretaker Alexander Tsygankov after Andrei Golubev resigned last week, had a flicker of hope when a Pablo Zeballos header found Kuban’s Aras Ozbiliz on the far post at a 65th-minute corner and the Armenian turned the ball into his own net.
The revival lasted all of six minutes before Kuban scored again. Popov won a penalty when he was fouled by Bruno Teles and Pizzelli slotted the ball home from the spot.
Popov struck again on 79 minutes, selling two defenders a dummy before jinking right and scoring with a low shot.
Despite the heavy defeat, Tsygankov was adamant the scoreline did not reflect the true nature of the match.
“We could have won the game, but didn’t use several chances,” he said.
Krylya registered 13 shots on goal, but many of them were speculative efforts from long range, and the team relied heavily on set pieces.
