A lesson from the leader: Mriya can’t withstand Polissia’s pressure in the second half

FC Polissia (Stavky) – FC Mriya (Gostomel) – 5: 1
Round 15 of the Kyiv Region Championship 2024/25

In the fifteenth round of the Kyiv Region Championship, Mriya Gostomel met one of the championship favourites, FC Polissia (Stavky), for the second time this season. Despite a good history of head-to-head matches with a minimal score difference (two 0-1 defeats in the 2024/25 season – one in the league and the other in a friendly), this time the opponent launched a real offensive and inflicted a painful defeat on our team.

The history of the confrontation

The teams met for the first time last season, when Polissia broke Mriya’s winning streak with a 6-0 scoreline. Gostomel’s renewed squad has already played three matches against this opponent: twice they lost narrowly, but with a decent fight until the final whistle. However, in the 15th round, the hosts’ advantage was no longer in doubt.

The course of the match

12th minute – 1: 0
Polissia launched an attack that forced our defence to act on the edge. Dmytro Prykhodko tried to interrupt the pass, but the ball bounced to Kirill Ivankov. Mriya’s goalkeeper failed to keep the ball out of the way, and it flew into the net – an unfortunate penalty that gave the hosts a psychological advantage.

44 minutes – 1:1
At the end of the first half, the visitors earned a corner from the left flank. After several ricochets and two saves from the Polissia goalkeeper, Yevhen Kordiuk was on the end of the ball in time to send it into the net and equalise before the break.

50 minutes – 2: 1
Denys Balatskyi took advantage of the inconsistency between Mriya’s lines and confidently shot past substitute goalkeeper Bohdan Shaida.

59 minutes – 3: 1
Polissia’s top scorer Vladyslav Horbachenko picked up the ball after a shot from the right flank, took out a defender and sent the ball into the net from the penalty spot, doubling his team’s lead.

67 minutes – 4: 1
Gorbachenko did not stop. This time, he received a pass from deep in the box, beat Yevhen Danylenko and easily converted a one-on-one, scoring a double.

84 minutes – 5: 1
The hosts won the battle in the centre of the field and quickly advanced to the goal. The effective combination was completed by Yevhen Zadoya, who coolly converted the moment and put an end to the game.

Conclusions

The match against FC Polissia was another test for Mriya. The team once again faced a very organised opponent who showed why they are considered one of the main favourites of the season. However, despite the score, the game had some positive aspects. Mriya managed to put up a fight in the first half, converted a penalty and showed character after conceding an early goal.

In the second half, Polissia fully controlled the pace and took advantage of our defensive mistakes in cold blood. At the same time, this match clearly showed the areas in which the team needs to improve: first of all, the stability of the game after the break and interaction on counterattacks.

New rounds and new chances are ahead. Don’t stop your dreams!!!!