Dynamo on course for double

FC Dynamo Kyiv won the Ukrainian Cup for the fifth time in their history after defeating great rivals FC Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 in a dramatic match on Sunday.

League win
Dynamo had gained the psychological edge on Wednesday by beating Shakhtar 2-1 in the league, but their championship contest took a back seat in front of 70,000 spectators at Kiev's Olympiyskiy stadium.

Vorobey opener
With both teams bidding to be the first to record five Cup triumphs, Shahktar, who beat Dynamo 3-2 last year to win the trophy for the second year running, took the lead on 18 minutes when the scorer of last season's winning goal, Andriy Vorobey, shot in from outside the box.

Substitute equalises
After the goal, Dynamo coach Olexiy Mikhaylichenko was forced to replace defender Goran Sablic with Aleksandr Khatskevich. That substitution proved to be key as the Belarussian equalised on 58 minutes with a magnificient free-kick from 25 meters.

Late winner
Then, with extra time looming for the third final running, Maxim Shatskikh and Diogo Rincón broke through the Shakhtar defence - and the Brazilian, on as a substitute, shot in to bring the cup back to the capital and secure the first trophy of Mikhaylichenko's reign, which began in last year's final when he took over after the death of Valeriy Lobanovskiy.

'A game of nerves'
Following the game, Mikhaylichenko said: "It was a game of nerves and will. We lost a lot in the first half, but we were able to increase the tempo in the second. I am happy that my team has shown character." Dynamo will now target the domestic double, as they lead Shakhtar by a point in the league with four games left.