Kazakhstan round-up: Zhenis reach the zenith

FC Zhenis Astana stand on top of the table after a busy week of football in Kazakhstan.

Playing leapfrog
Alexandr Shatskikh scored twice in the second half of Zhenis' game against FC Tobol Kostanai to see his side replace their opponents at the top of the table, but FK Atyrau and FK Aktobe Lento remain in serious contention just behind those two sides.

Unbeaten side
Fourth-placed Aktobe remain unbeaten in the Kazakhstan Super League this season after recording a 1-0 win against FC Vostok Ust-Kamenogorsk thanks to a Kairat Ashirbekov penalty, and a 1-1 draw against FC Yelimai Semipalatinsk later in the week in a game which saw Serbian defender Zelko Joksimovic score his first goal in the top flight.

Winning run ends
Third-placed Atyrau also played twice this week, stretching their run of consecutive wins to five with a 3-2 victory against FC Shakhtyor Karagandy before drawing 1-1 against FC Kairat Almaty. The latter game marked 66-year-old coach Leonid Ostroushko's return to Kairat, as he came in to replace his Tajikstani predecessor Vladimir Gulyamkhaidarov.

In contention
Further down the table but not yet out of contention, reigning champions FC Irtysh Pavlodar took maximum points from their two games this week, with Murat Tleshev's goal giving them a 1-0 win against FC Yesil-Bogatyr Petropavlovsk. The same striker was on target as Irtysh won 4-1 against FC Yesil Kokshetau.

New coach
Bakhtiyar Bayseitov replaced Sergei Shevchenko as coach of FC Ordabasy Shymkent this week and the move had an immediate effect on their results. A 1-0 win at FC Zhetysu Taldykorgan was followed by a 2-1 win at FC Taraz to leave the club safely in mid-table. They have now overtaken FC Kaisar Kyzylorda who slipped to two defeats, losing 1-0 against Taraz and 4-0 against Zhetysu.

Struggling sides
Elsewhere Yelimai beat bottom side FC Batys Uralsk 2-0 while FC Ekibastuzets Ekibastuz drew 1-1 in their back-to-back games against fellow strugglers Yesil and Yesil-Bogatyr.