Georgia round-up: Championship in the balance

FC Dinamo Tbilisi maintained a two-point lead at the top of the Umaghlesi Liga with a narrow 1-0 win away to FC Lokomotivi Tbilisi in the penultimate round of matches.

Headed winner
Following a goalless first half, Dinamo secured the points thanks to header from Rati Aleksidze, who converted a Vitali Daraselia's assist on 67 minutes. Lokomotivi president Akaki Chkhaidze responded to the result by immediately releasing eleven players.

Torpedo in touch
Second-placed reigning champions FC Torpedo Kutaisi maintained the pressure on Dinamo by also recording a 1-0 away win, taking all three points from a visit to FC WIT Georgia Tbilisi. Zurab Ionanidze scored his 25th goal of the season on 24 minutes to give Torpedo the win to leave the destination of the title in the balance.

All to play for
With one round of matches left, Torpedo face Lokomotivi while Dinamo play FC Sioni Bolnisi. Should the two sides finish level on points, the title will be decided by a play-off.

Late comeback
FC Kolkheti-1913 Poti remained the only team in the championship play-off group without a victory as they draw 2-2 with Sioni in a match played at a neutral venue, the Rustavi Poladi Stadium. Goals from Konstantine Darsania and Boris Goncharovi either side of half-time gave Kolkheti-1913 a 2-0 lead but Sioni rallied in the final ten minutes as Yuri Gabiskirai and Hamlet Tsitsivadze scored to earn a draw.

Issues unresolved
In the relegation play-off group, FC Gorda 2000 Rustavi defeated FC Metalurgi Zestaponi 1-0 thanks to a goal from Lasha Aladashvili just after half-time, while the game between FC Milani Tsnori and FC Meran-91 Tbilisi ended goalless, the first match in charge for new Merani coach Temur Lortkipanidze. Elsewhere, FC Dinamo Batumi and FC Dila Gori draw 2-2. Metalurgi have already been relegated, but the identities of the other side to be automatically relegated and the side who will play off against the third-placed side in the second division are yet to be decided.

New training camp
FIFA president Joseph Blatter, who arrived in Tbilisi from Armenia, officially opened a new training camp for the Georgian national team on Saturday. The building of this camp was subsidised by the FIFA Goal Project, while UEFA also contributed funds.