No let-up in Shakhtyor charge

By Denis Orlov

Having gone a total of 18 matches without defeat, FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk's great early season run could well be turning into a charge to their first national title.

Impressive start
With eleven wins and five draws from 16 league games, Shakhtyor have gone into the second half of the season in impressive style. A 1-1 draw against in-form FC Dnepr-Transmash Mogilev and wins against UEFA Cup contenders FC BATE Borisov and FC MTZ-RIPO Minsk have seen them maintain their superb run.

Wonderful chance
"We might never have a better opportunity to win the title," said coach Yuri Vergeichik. "Our success could give football development in Soligorsk a huge impetus. Top position and a place in UEFA Champions League would improve our financial situation and infrastructure, and delight our supporters."

Torpedo looming
However, Shakhtyor will have to be wary of FC Torpedo Zhodino, who have started the second half of their season with three straight wins. After a 6-1 win at home against FC Slavia Mozyr, successive 3-2 wins against FC Lokomotiv Minsk and FC Neman Grodno have left Yuri Maleev's side six points off top spot.

Dinamo refreshed
Having bowed out of the Champions League in the first qualifying round, champions FC Dinamo Minsk are beginning to recover. A 3-1 win against city rivals MTZ-RIPO were followed by back-to-back 4-0 wins against Slavia and Lokomotiv to lift them into fourth place, a point behind Dnepr-Transmash.

Naftan resurgent
FC Naftan Novopolotsk are in fifth place after a good July for Viacheslav Akhaev's side. They have not dropped a point all month, but the coach wants more, saying: "Fifth place will not satisfy me. Our defence should be stronger with the arrival of the new defenders who came to the club in mid-season."

Attacking impetus
Naftan's attack has been their most impressive department this season, with the impressive strike partnership of Ihor Chumachenko and Valeri Stripeikis. Chumachenko is the league's top scorer with ten goals, while Stripeikis has eight. Between them they have scored two-thirds of Naftan's 27 goals.

Coaching changes
Lower down the table, coaches have come and gone over the summer, with Yuri Antonivich taking over from Sergei Gomonov at FC Zvezda-BGU Minsk, and Aleksandr Kuznetsov being replaced by Nikolai Gorunov at FC Gomel. Meanwhile, Moldovan Ilie Karp is the new man at Slavia following Andrei Sosnitski's departure.

Bottom spots
Zvezda and Slavia occupy the relegation places, with the former a full 16 points adrift of safety, but both have progressed to the last 16 of the Belarussian Cup. Second division FC Khimik Svetlogorsk and FC Veras Nesvizh knocked out Premier League FC Darida Zhdanovichi and Dnepr-Transmash in the last 32.