A stunning goal by Armenian winger Aras Ozbiliz secured a 2-1 home victory for FC Kuban against Terek Grozny in their Russian Premier League match on Saturday.
Terek stay fourth after a second defeat in a row thwarted their ambitions to return to the top of the table, which a win would have provided, while Kuban climbed to seventh place.
Midfielder Alexei Ionov gave Kuban the lead on 32 minutes, delivering a powerful strike from inside the box off a free-kick assist by Marcos Pizzelli.
The equalizer came three minutes later when Terek's Czech defender Martin Jiranek hit the target with a curving 50-yard screamer that Kuban goalkeeper Alexander Belenov could not stop.
Ex-Ajax playmaker Aras Ozbiliz scored the winning goal with seven minutes to the final whistle, delivering another long-range shot from 30 yards.
“The game was difficult. We played three games in six days and pulled out this win thanks to our will," Kuban coach Yuri Krasnozhan said in televised comments.
Bulgaria’s international Ivelin Popov could have opened the score on 28 minutes when he stormed into the penalty area but saw his effort saved by Terek goalkeeper Yaroslav Godzyur.
Terek midfielder Oleg Ivanov had the first chance in the second half with a header from a corner, but Belenov pulled off a reflex save.
Alexander Pavlenko could have salvaged a point for Terek in the stoppage time if not for Belenov's one-handed save.
Earlier Saturday, Spartak Moscow snatched a comeback 3-1 win at Amkar Perm, while Zenit St. Petersburg and Lokomotiv Moscow drew 1-1 in a bad-tempered game that saw both sides lose a player to a red card.
On Sunday, leaders CSKA Moscow play Dan Petrescu’s Dynamo, Guus Hiddink’s Anzhi host FC Volga, and Rubin Kazan travel to David Bentley's FC Rostov.
Krylya Sovetov face Krasnodar on Monday, before Mordovia Saransk host Alania Vladikavkaz in a battle between the two newly promoted sides.
