MOSCOW, November 3 (R-Sport) - Ibrahima Balde struck from the edge of the box Saturday as FC Kuban beat Amkar Perm 3-0 away to go fourth in the Russian Premier League.
Kuban leapfrogged Spartak Moscow and Terek Grozny with the win, while Amkar stay 10th after their fourth defeat in six games.
Senegal striker Balde, 23, opened the scoring on 59 minutes when he sized on a loose ball on the edge of the box to strike a low shot past Amkar goalkeeper Sergei Narubin, who was slow to react.
Ex-Ajax midfielder Aras Ozbiliz made it 2-0 from the penalty spot 13 minutes later, hammering the ball past Narubin after Amkar’s Konstantin Vassiljev brought down Alexei Ionov in the box.
Ozbiliz’s fellow Armenia international Marcos Pizzelli added gloss to the scoreline on 87 minutes when he finished off a slick move from an Ionov layoff.
Amkar enjoyed most of the possession but were unable to make it count as they regularly sent long shots wide and left Kuban’s solid goalkeeper Alexander Belenov with only three saves to make.
Deep into stoppage time, Amkar's Sergei Volkov was dismissed for a dangerous lunge on Kuban defender Alexei Kozlov, who was stretchered off.
On Friday, Roman Shirokov scored the winner with the last touch of the game as Zenit St. Petersburg beat FC Rostov 2-0.
Later Saturday, Spartak Moscow visit Krylya Sovetov and Mordovia Saransk host Rubin Kazan.
Sunday sees a Moscow derby as CSKA face Lokomotiv, before Anzhi take on Terek and FC Krasnodar host Dynamo Moscow.
Alania Vladikavkaz’s game against FC Volga rounds out the weekend’s action Monday evening.
