Belarus: Belshina crowned champions despite defeat

FC Belshina Bobruisk secured their first-ever Belarussian first division title on Saturday with one round of matches remaining, despite losing 2-1 at home to FC Dinamo Minsk courtesy of first-half goals from Vitali Volodenkov and Igor Chumachenko.

Fourth loss
The visitors went ahead through Volodenkov's 24th-minute strike and stunned Belshina with another six minutes later when Chumachenko was on target. Despite a battling second-half performance that saw Aleksandr Sednev pull a goal back from the penalty spot after 56 minutes, Belshina fell to only their fourth defeat of the season.

No score
However, the result proved immaterial as Belshina have an unassailable 55 points from 25 matches, four points ahead of FC BATE Borisov, who wasted the chance to overtake Belshina after being held to a 0-0 draw by Shakhtior Soligorsk.

All to play for
Dinamo, who won five consecutive Belarussian titles after the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, moved within a point of 1999 champions Borisov, whom they face in the season's finale next Wednesday to decide the runners-up spot.

Fourth place
FC Neman-Belcard Grodno are fourth after securing all three points at home to FC Molodechno 2000 with an easy 3-0 win. Dmitri Kovalenok and Sergei Miroshkin set them on their way with a goal each inside the first ten minutes before Alexei Suchkov sealed the victory six minutes after half-time.

Late drama
FC Slavia Mozyr climbed to sixth after claiming a 2-1 away win over FC Dnepr-Transmash Mogilev with two goals in the last four minutes. Dnepr went ahead through Aleksandr Pischur's goal after 73 minutes, but Aleksandr Klimenko levelled in the 86th minute and an Alexei Bagnuk own goal with only one minute left handed the visitors victory.

Other matches
Elsewhere, Torpedo-MAZ Minsk and FC Gomel played out a goalless draw, as did Lokomotiv-96 Vitebsk and FC Dinamo Brest, while basement club FC Vedrich-97 Rechitsa fell to a 3-0 home defeat to FC Naftan-Devon Novopolotsk.