Loko steal CSKA's thunder

By Pavle Gognidze

FC Lokomotiv Moskva clinched their second Russian league title on the final day of the season after beating FC Shinnik Yaroslavl 2-0 with goals from Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and Dmitri Sychev.

Early goals
The result was a foregone conclusion after 20 minutes. After only four minutes, Sychev's perfect flick set up Bilyaletdinov, who drove a powerful shot under Eugeni Safonov's crossbar. Then, 16 minutes later, Sergei Gurenko won a challenge on the left side of defence, beat two opponents and fed Sychev, who held off a couple of defenders and applied the finish.

Controlled display
The Railway Boys did not falter in the second half, and their hosts did not have a shot on target in the whole game, while at the other end Dmitri Khokhlov passed up two opportunities to add to Yuri Semin's team's total. However, that was of little concern to the club as they seized a slot in the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League.

Victory in vain
Having started the day a point behind Lokomotiv, second-placed PFC CSKA Moskva won 4-1 at FC Moskva to secure the runners-up berth. Baba Adamu gave the home side an early lead but CSKA struck back with two goals from Vágner Love and one apiece for Sergei Semak and Daniel Carvalho.

Krylya success
CSKA qualify for the UEFA Cup, as do FC Krylya Sovetov Samara, whose 2-1 victory at FC Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast sealed third place. Midfield player Petr Bystrov opened the scoring for Saturn but Krylya Sovetov responded with efforts from Denis Kolodin and Aleksandr Anyukov.

Zenit finish fourth
Having led the table for much of the campaign, FC Zenit St. Peterburg had to settle for fourth place despite a 5-2 win at condemned SC Rotor Volgograd. Rotor were relegated alongside FC Kuban Krasnodar, who went down regardless of their 2-1 triumph at FC Amkar Perm. In the day's other games, FC Dinamo Moskva avoided the drop by drawing 1-1 at home to FC Spartak Moskva, while FC Torpedo Moskva secured a fifth-place finish with a 4-1 home defeat of FC Rostov.