Armenia round-up: Shirak hit the heights

FC Shirak went to the top of the Armenian Premier League table on Saturday as they beat FC Lernagorts 3-0 at home. Shirak replace the deposed leaders FC Pyunik who had no weekend fixture.

Davtyan double
Shirak cruised to a comfortable victory against a disappointing Lernagorts, taking the lead in the 19th minute when Vardan Bichakhchyan got on the scoresheet. Shirak doubled their lead two minutes before the break through Tigran Davtyan who added the third in the 50th minute.

Made to work
FC Spartak Yerevan were also weekend winners beating FC Dinamo-2000 Yerevan at home. However, they were made to work for the points against a young Dinamo side, eventually running out 3-2 victors.

Counter-attack
Dinamo, who were happy to sit back and hit Spartak on the counterattack, took the lead through Artyom Adamjan in the eleventh minute and it was not until the hour mark that Spartak conjured up an equaliser through Hayk Hakobyan. Adamjan immediately restored Dinamo's lead only for Samvel Melkonyan to once more equalise, in the 72nd minute. And Spartak went on to steal the points as Tigran Hovhannisyan fired a late winner into the bottom corner of the Dinamo net.

Comfortable
On Sunday, FC MIKA were comfortable 4-1 home winners against FSC Lori. MIKA's captain Armen Petikyan opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a beautiful free-kick from the right of the area. Tigran Hovhannisyan then equalised in the 34th minute with a 33-metre drive. However, MIKA restored their lead just before the interval through an Armen Petikyan penalty. Edik Manucharyan then put the game out of Lori's reach with two goals in five second-half minutes, in the 68th and 73rd, to give MIKA the points.

Four sent off
Also on Sunday, FC Banants beat FC Ararat Yerevan 2-1 in Abovyan. The first goal came in the 12th minute for Banants when Karen Novoyan pounced. Ararat were made to wait until the 65th minute for their equaliser which came through Edgar Safaryan. In the 87th minute four players were sent off for fighting: Feliks Khodjoyan and Sergej Arakelyan of Banants and Edgar Safaryan and Elukvo Eyzukam of Ararat. To add to the drama, Tigran Esayan grabbed a last-minute winner for Banants. In the day's other game, FC Zvartnots AAL beat FC Kotyak 5-0 with Vahram Lob grabbing two of the goals.