In the Ukrainian Cup Round of 16 match, FC Kharkiv secured a hard-fought victory over amateur side Mayak from Sarny (Rivne region). Valeriy Dubko scored the decisive goal in the 87th minute, sending the ball into the far corner and sending Kharkiv through to the tournament's quarterfinals. The match turned out to be tense and dramatic: the visitors led twice, while the hosts equalized twice, with one of the goals being a true masterpiece of the encounter.
Early Chances and a Sensational Goal by the Visitors
The hosts started aggressively and could have opened the scoring as early as the 8th minute: Romaniuk delivered a cross into the penalty area, and Totovytskyi headed it, but Mayak goalkeeper Varakuta saved his team. The former Shakhtar midfielder's follow-up shot was also parried by the visiting keeper. In response, Kharkiv created a chance through Rashid's solo run, which ended with a shot hitting the crossbar. In the 31st minute, Mayak goalkeeper Tymoshystkyi twice in a row blocked dangerous shots from the hosts. Nevertheless, in the 35th minute, the visitors finally took the lead: Yatsyk struck a powerful free-kick, the ball hit the crossbar, and Kohut headed it into the net.
Romaniuk Restores Parity with a Top-Corner Strike
In the second half, Kharkiv continued to press and create chances, but it was the amateur team from the Rivne region that managed to hold the lead initially, after which the hosts found an answer following the break. Yuriy Romaniuk picked up the ball after a rebound and unleashed a powerful shot right into the top corner, restoring parity and giving the fans hope of continuing their campaign in the tournament. This goal became one of the most beautiful in the match and demonstrated the midfielder's high level of individual skill.
Dubko Decides the Outcome in the 87th Minute
The climax arrived only in the 87th minute. Valeriy Dubko dared to shoot from distance and directed the ball under the far post, returning the lead to Kharkiv. This goal proved to be the winner and brought Kharkiv a ticket to the Ukrainian Cup quarterfinals. Mayak concluded their tournament run despite a worthy resistance and two scored goals, including Romaniuk's fine goal for the hosts.
Context: Mayak's Journey and Other Round of 16 Results
It is worth noting that the amateur team from the Rivne region, led by former Dynamo Kyiv forward Vladyslav Kulach, had previously sensationally knocked Poltava out of the tournament, making their appearance in the Round of 16 and the high-scoring match against Kharkiv even more remarkable. On the first matchday of the Round of 16 stage, Veres narrowly beat Livyi Bereh, and Shakhtar knocked Dynamo Kyiv out of the cup, confirming the high stakes and drama of the current tournament edition.
Significance of the Result for Kharkiv
The victory over Mayak allowed Kharkiv to continue their fight in the Ukrainian Cup and advance to the quarterfinals, where their opponent will be one of the remaining tournament participants. The match demonstrated that even with a numerical and class advantage, the hosts should not underestimate amateur teams capable of pulling off upsets. For Mayak, their cup run, including the victory over Poltava and two goals scored against Kharkiv, became an important milestone in the team's development under the guidance of Vladyslav Kulach.
