Ukraine earn first Group 2 win against Lithuania
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
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Ukraine 2-0 Lithuania
Goals from Serhiy Rybalka and Yevhen Shakhov gave the home side their first win in Group 2 against a Lithuania side who rarely threatened.
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Ukraine picked up their first UEFA European Under-21 Championship Group 2 victory at the fourth attempt with Serhiy Rybalka and Yevhen Shakhov on target against Lithuania.
Oleksandr Karavayev crossed from the right for Rybalka to open the scoring in first-half added time and FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk midfielder Shakhov made it 2-0 within seconds of coming on as a 74th-minute substitute, finishing after Serhiy Kryvtsov had nodded Andriy Bogdanov's corner into his path.
The home side dominated from the off and might have been ahead long before the interval. Vitaliy Fedotov was crowded out when through on goal after seven minutes, Ruslan Babenko and Bogdanov drew saves from Emilijus Zubas before Rybalka made the breakthrough, and Dmytro Khomchenovskiy missed another good opportunity after the interval.
Captain Tadas Eliošius passed up the visitors' best chance on 65 minutes, failing to exploit a lapse in the Ukraine defence, but Shakhov's goal killed off any remaining resistance, and Pylyp Budkivskiy might have added to the Ukrainian tally before the end.
