Moscow---Amkar Perm are set to stay in the Russian Premiership next season after their hard-fought 1-0 home win over the national cup finalists Kuban Krasnodar on Saturday.
The first-half goal by Alexander Prudnikov sealed the win at Perm stadium to lift Amkar, who are unbeaten in their last five games, to 11th, four points above the relegation zone.
Amkar squandered a set of early chances before Polish playmaker Janusz Gol helped the ball on to Prudnikov in the area and the forward hammered past 'keeper Alexander Belenov from the edge of the six-yard box in the 27th minute.
Kuban, who will face Lokomotiv Moscow in the Russian Cup final on Thursday, poured in attack seeking for an equaliser but their hopes went up in smoke in the 78th minute when Portuguese forward Hugo Almeida received a direct red card for rough play."We started well and scored a classy goal," Amkar manager Gadzhi Gadzhiev said.
"But after the break we failed to show our best football making too many mistakes. Luckily we managed to keep our lead throughout."
Bottom side Torpedo Moscow, who will meet second-placed FC Krasnodar on Sunday, and promoted Arsenal Tula, who drew 1-1 with visitors Terek Grozny, are the sides currently in the relegation places.
Lokomotiv faced Rubin Kazan without their Montenegrin coach Miodrag Bozovic, who stepped down a week ago, but managed to record a morale-boosting 3-0 win.
Lokomotiv went into the lead in the 39th minute when Rubin midfielder Magomed Ozdoyev sent the ball into his own net in an attempt to clear Alexander Samedov's cross from the right flank.
Former Tottenham forward Roman Pavlyuchenko made it 2-0 in the 56th minute sending the ball into the net past with a sharp-angled shot after Rubin's defensive blunder.
Samedov rounded off the scoring in the fourth minute of stoppage time with a precise spotkick after the guests fouled Senegalese striker Baye Oumar Niasse in the area.
"After a series of poor performances we played our season's best match today and won deservedly," Lokomotiv caretaker coach Igor Cherevchenko said.
Russian league leaders Zenit St Petersburg, who are eight points clear at the top of the table, are set to seal their fourth national title on Sunday when they meet minnows Ufa at their Petrovsky ground.
"We have been leaders since the first day and we have the chance to become champions and I am sure that everyone wants to make that happen," Zenit manager Andre Villas-Boas said Saturday.
"I think that our motivation on Sunday is going to be very high."
AFP
