Bulgaria round-up: Varna notch crucial win

PFC Spartak Varna pulled away from the A PFG drop zone after defeating the relegation group leaders PFC Lokomotiv Sofia 3-1 this afternoon.

Key win
Lokomotiv are all but assured a place in the top-flight next season and it showed as Varna's Iliya Iliev scored the opening goal in the 22nd minute and three minutes after the break Nikolai Stanchev doubled the lead for the home side. Although Boiko Velichkov pulled a goal back soon after for the visitors, Emil Kremenliev quickly restored the two goal lead with a penalty in the 58th minute.

Dimitrov opener
Varna go third, six points behind second-placed PFC Marek, who had a comfortable 2-0 win over second-from-bottom PFC Belasitsa. Marek went ahead five minutes before the break when Velizar Dimitrov finished off a sweeping move and Ivo Pargov sealed the win with a second.

Great fightback
PFC Cherno More boosted their chances of survival with a 2-1 win over already relegated PFC Beroe. Against the run of play Veselin Penev put Beroe in front before the break, but Cherno rallied with two goals from Georgi Iliev in as many minutes, midway through the second half.

Decisive strike
PFC Chernomorets Burgas had a narrow 1-0 win over PFC Spartak Pleven with Yuri Ivanikov scoring the only goal of the game.

Coming up
Rilski Sportist, PFC Dobrudzha and PFC Botev Plovdiv will all play in the Bulgarian Professional League next season after winning promotion from the second division.