Kazakhstan round-up: Zhenis set the pace

FC Zhenis Astana moved five points clear at the top of the Kazakhstan Super League table after two wins in four days.

Shatskikh hat-trick
Zhenis defeated FC Yesil Bogatyr Petropavlovsk 4-1 on Thursday before recording a 2-0 victory over FC Yesil Kokshetau on Sunday. Striker Aleksandr Shatskikh was on top form, scoring a hat-trick against Yesil Bogatyr and another goal against Yesil.

Irtysh impress
Champions FC Irtysh Pavlodar continued their good run as they too recorded successive wins to move second. A 6-0 victory over FC Batys Uralsk - with six different players on the scoresheet - was followed by a 2-1 win against FK Aktobe Lento. Murat Tleshov scored both goals for Irtysh, while Nurmat Mirzabayev converted a penalty for Akltobe.

First defeat
Ahead of the Irtysh match, Aktobe-Lento suffered their first defeat of the season when they were sensationally beaten 2-0 by FC Ekibastuzets Ekibastyz. Ekibastuzets then produced another impressive performance to record a 4-0 victory over Batys.

One point
FC Kairat Almaty took just one point from two home matches, following a goalless draw with FC Taraz with a 2-0 reverse against FC Zhetysu Taldukorgan. Leonid Ostroushko, the new Kairat coach, has yet to record a win after three matches in charge.

Seven draws
FC Shakhtyor Karaganda registered their seventh draw of the season as they were held 2-2 by Zhetysu. Shakhtyor, however, managed to win their next game, 5-1 against Taraz. Young forward Andrei Finonchenko scored one in the first game and added two more against Taraz to take his tally for the season to eleven.

Derby delight
Elsewhere, FK Atyrau beat 2-0 FC Vostok Ust-Kamenogorsk and then drew 0-0 with FC Yelimai Semipalatinsk, while FC Kaisar Kyzylorda won the South Kazakhstan derby 1-0 against FC Ordabasy Shymkent thanks to a goal from captain Sultan Abildayev.