A fighting draw for the newcomers: Mriya and Halych share points in Gostomel

In the third round of the Ukrainian Amateur Championship, Mriya (Gostomel) played for the first time on their home ground – and immediately against another debutant in this tournament, FC Halych (Zbarazh). Mriya is currently sixth in the Higher League of the Kyiv Region (out of 12 teams), while Halych is seventh in the Ternopil Region Championship (although there are only seven teams in the Higher League of this region). Both teams did not lose in their two matches, but while Zbarazh brought two points for two draws, Mriya got four points.

The course of the match

The support of the home fans inspired Mriya to start actively. The hosts were looking for opportunities to open the scoring from the very first minutes, trying to use fast flank attacks. Instead, Halych showed a tenacious character and acted tightly in the build-up.

Closer to the break, Mriya managed to convert their advantage into a goal: Pomazan started the attack in the centre of the pitch, passing to the left flank to Lytvynov, who sent a shot to the far post. Yarmak was the quickest there and hit the visitors’ goal with a header in stoppage time (45+2 minutes) – 1-0. It was Denys’s first goal in the current championship, and Bohdan Lytvynov’s first assist.

The second half began with Mriya trying to consolidate their lead, but Halych quickly restored the balance. Tsaruk effectively passed the opponent in his own half and passed to the left flank of the attack, where Simchuk picked up speed and clearly shot past our goalkeeper – 1-1.

A draw and a way forward

Buoyed by their success, the visitors tried to take the lead, but Mriya responded with a series of substitutions and tactical changes, trying to regain control of the central area. The teams had several more chances to score, but the score remained unchanged.

For Mriya, who played their first match on their home ground, the result was not the most desirable, but every point gained in the AAFU’s debut season is an important step towards consolidating the team in the national arena.

We thank the fans for supporting Mriya in their native Gostomel! There are still many matches ahead, so we hope for your active support and new victories.