Last-gasp BATE claim third Belarusian Super Cup
Sunday, March 17, 2013
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FC BATE Borisov have become Belarusian Super Cup winners for a third time after Mikhail Sivakov's added-time goal sank FC Naftan Novopolotsk 1-0 in a repeat of the 2010 curtain-raiser.
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FC BATE Borisov conjured a winning goal three minutes into added time to claim their third Belarusian Super Cup at the expense of FC Naftan Novopolotsk.
The match was an eagerly anticipated repeat of the 2010 season curtain-raiser between the two clubs, in which BATE prevailed on penalties. BATE fans could have been forgiven for anticipating another bout of extra time this year after Viktor Goncharenko's league champions squandered a host of clear-cut chances, but Mikhail Sivakov's last-gasp strike spared them the anxiety.
The midfielder burst forward and latched onto Edgar Olekhnovich's pass before finishing clinically from a tight angle to provide his club's trophy cabinet with more silverware.
"Almost all Belarusian clubs defend against us with nearly their entire team in their box," said match winner Sivakov after the game. "It's hard to overcome such defences, but BATE have a strong character and I'm sure we would've won on penalties if necessary. We obviously still need to improve the efficiency of our attack. We'll work on it."
