Georgia round-up: Dinamo defeat opens up title race

FC Dinamo Tbilisi's unbeaten start to the Georgian Premier League season finally came to an end today at the 14th time of asking.

Title race wide open
A 1-0 home defeat by third-placed FC WIT Georgia Tbilisi blew the title race wide open to leave the top three separated by just three points. Second-placed FC Torpedo Kutaisi made no mistake with a 3-1 win at FC Dila Gori, while FC Lokomotivi Tbilisi can move into third themselves if they win their game in hand after their win againt FC Milani Tsnori.

Nozadze the hero
Lasha Nozadze was the hero for WIT, striking a 69th-minute winner as Dinamo dropped only their fifth point of the campaign. Torpedo took an early lead at Gori when Givi Didava broke the deadlock in the 13th minute before Zurab Ionadze made it 2-0 eight minutes before the break. Merab Dzodzuashivili pulled a goal back after 56 minutes to set up a tense finish but Shota Chomakhidze restored Torpedo's two-goal cushion 12 minutes from time.

Resolute defence
Two first-half goals from Aleksander Kaidarashvili (35 minutes) and David Siradze (41) were enough for Lokomotiv as Milani struggled to break down the visitors' resolute defence.

Batumi off the bottom
Elsewhere, FC Dinamo Batumi moved off the foot of the table with a 3-1 win at home to FC Merani-91 Tbilisi. A goal in each half from Irakli Modebadze and Kakha Katsarava's 85th-minute effort had the game already won before Gocha Gujabidze struck a last-minute consolation from the penalty spot.

Kolkheti-1913 close gap
FC Gorda 2000 Rustavi were beaten 3-1 at FC Metalurgi Zestaponi, while FC Kolkheti-1913 Poti closed the gap on mid-table rivals FC Sioni Bolnisi to three points by beating them 3-2.