To grow again with L.Tkachenko third appearance

The last two home matches without a head coach but under the widely known in Kaliningrad former Baltika FC head coach Leonid Tkachenko were played not only with the better and more successful final score but after the fall down the table the team showed that not everything was too bad in the squad. To say better, Leonid Tkachenko showed he could tune the players and start regaining points necessary for a normal place in the League. As I wrote in the previous review our team won one out of the two home games bringing four points and team management had to decide who would be the head coach after the resignation of Z.Sanaya and his assistants. L. Tkachenko agreed to help preparing Baltika for the mentioned home matches and all depended on the result which finally became positive to their opinion to post L. Tkachenko. That’s why before the next away games in Vladikavkaz and Nizniy-Novgorod we could breathe out the stress of the last months to see some perspective upcoming. 

Once Alaniya Vladikavkaz won Russian championship gold medals in early 90’s under Valery Gazaev but since the club has suffered deep and rapid up and downs, relegating in the first, then second Leagues changing its name, returning and finally announcing the main aim of the current season – step to Premier League. So to say, no matter how things could always be with Alaniya when we played there, one thing is clear – it was always hard. Back in the 90’s Baltika was even routed there once with the score 4-0, after that we witnessed better results including draws and victories. Travelling to Vladikavkaz this time we dreamt of three points, speculating on a draw as a success but the game presented us with the first variant which seemed as a very good unexpectedness. The first half brought us thoughts concerning how to mend our defense line more tightly to keep to the 0-0 draw but when Golubov at 60’ got a header, leaked into the penalty area and fired into the near top corner some hope became visible and looming somewhere closer than the horizon. Just seven mins later another massive offense of the host-team ended with a blocked play of our defense which triggered like a spring bulleting forward so instantly that the awesome shot of Krystafovich from out of the penalty area could be easily awarded for the title of best goal of the matchday. The ball made a dashing arch in the area before netting. That was the hope which never made us hesitate after even though at 72’ G.Bazaev gapped it to one. The final whistle of the referee sent a dose of confirmation to all of that skeptics who believed that L.Tkachenko had already worked everything out when his two first sessions in Baltika. 
Two days later Baltika was in Nizniy-Novgorod to play the same named club. At least a point was an often prediction before the match but this time neither luck nor professional skills helped our squad to bring home such a fruitful and tasty result. We lost 1-0 conceding in early of the game from Borodin. Golubov of Baltika had a super chance to tie the match-up but if no luck then no luck at all. But no, we had some luck not to get the second in the middle. 
Three points after such a tight away voyage with the most of the players being cured and out of play can be considered successful as we are going to face Shinnik from Yaroslavl on 24 of June before missing matchday 18 two days later. 

1.Alaniya – 31 points after 15 games played, 2.FC Sibir – 31(15), 3.Anzi – 30(15),…., 9.Baltika – 21(16)

Alex Maximov
Alex77786@mail.ru