Dinamo claim Belarus Cup

FC Dinamo Minsk won the Belarus Cup by defeating 2-0 city rivals FC Lokomotiv Minsk in the final.

Tight first half
Maksim Tsygalko scored both goals as Dinamo claimed the Cup for the first time in nine years. The first half was finely balanced and both sides had chances to break the deadlock, with Dinamo's Kiril Pavlyuchek and Mikhail Litvinchuk of Lokomotiv both going close.

Quick goals
However, Tsygalko broke the deadlock eight minutes after half-time, as he converted Andrei Milevski's pass before virtually sealing the result five minutes later, capitalising on a ball from Vitali Volodenkov. Lokomotiv then took the initiative but were unable to find a way through the Dinamo defence, and Dinamo held on for a famous victory.

First final
For Lokomotiv, who were founded three years ago, reaching the Cup final was a significant achievement. "Just the word 'final' means a lot; many teams never reach it," said coach Anatoli Yurevich. "We achieved it in the third year of our existence. Largely speaking, there are no losers in the final."

'Under pressure'
"In the first half both teams were under nervous pressure, which prevented them from taking the initiative," said Dinamo coach Georgi Gyurov. "After the break we dominated Lokomotiv and I think that we achieved a deserved victory. However, I am far from euphoria. If we want to play well in the UEFA Cup we will need to strengthen our defence."