Trostianets Survive Hirnyk-Sport Scare, Cement Druha Liga Lead with Gritty 3-2 Triumph

By early autumn’s sharp light at Stadion imeni V. Kutsa, Trostianets produced a performance marked by both early exuberance and second-half nerve, outlasting Hirnyk-Sport 3-2 to reinforce their credentials as Druha Liga pacesetters. The win, hard-won against a Hirnyk-Sport side desperate to reverse their fortunes, propels Trostianets to 23 points from 10 matches—ensuring they retain their hold on the league’s summit with a two-point cushion over the chasing pack.

For Trostianets, who have built a reputation this campaign for striking early and holding firm, Wednesday’s encounter followed a now-familiar script—though not without late drama to unsettle the home faithful. The hosts burst from the blocks, pressing high and breaking through with real intent. The breakthrough arrived in the 11th minute, delivered with clinical dispatch by a Trostianets forward whose name may be lost to official records but whose impact was indelible. The crowd barely caught its breath before the home side doubled their advantage in the 14th, capitalizing on defensive uncertainty to establish what seemed an impregnable lead.

Yet, if recent results had painted Hirnyk-Sport as vulnerable—the visitors arrived in Sumy Oblast with four defeats in their last five, including a lopsided 0-7 cup capitulation at Nyva Vinnytsya—this was a night to disrupt the narrative. Hirnyk-Sport found a lifeline on 21 minutes, threading a shot through traffic to halve the deficit and inject fresh tension into the contest. That the goal arrived against the run of play shifted momentum, if only fleetingly, setting the stage for a match that would oscillate with the unpredictability of the season itself.

Trostianets, undeterred, reasserted their control before halftime. When the referee pointed to the spot in the 36th minute after a hurried challenge rattled the area, the outcome was emphatic: the hosts’ penalty taker sent the goalkeeper the wrong way, restoring the two-goal cushion and reaffirming Trostianets’ attacking poise. The home supporters, emboldened by a 3-1 lead and embers of a five-match unbeaten run, seemed ready to celebrate another routine victory.

But Hirnyk-Sport would not go quietly. Emerging from the interval with renewed purpose, they pressed higher and forced a breakthrough just five minutes into the second half. A swift attacking sequence culminated in a sharp finish, narrowing the gap to 3-2 and flipping the match’s mood from comfort to concern for the league leaders. The goal was a testament both to the visitors’ resolve and to Trostianets’ occasional frailty under pressure—a reminder that top spot in the Druha Liga is never secure until the final whistle.

The remainder of the match was charged with intensity but yielded no further scoring. Trostianets, mindful of their place atop the table and the stakes that grow with every passing week, managed the closing stages with measured pragmatism. Their defenders repelled a handful of late surges, while the midfielders slowed the tempo, winning vital fouls and shepherding the clock. When the whistle sounded, it was with a sense of relief as much as celebration.

For Trostianets, the significance of the result extends beyond the three points. In a league campaign defined by consistency—seven wins, two draws, one defeat from ten—this was a victory won not only with technical quality but with psychological steel. Their recent sequence, highlighted by late heroics at Chayka and a commanding home display against Dinaz Vyshhorod, now gains added weight: a team more than capable of winning pretty, but also of surviving the anxious grind.

Hirnyk-Sport, meanwhile, are left to rue what might have been. Their struggle for stability continues: this is now five matches without a win, four of those losses, and a defense that has surrendered 15 goals in those outings. Yet there were signs tonight—a second-half resurgence, a spirited response to adversity—that suggest a squad not yet resigned to its lot. Their mid-table ambitions remain mathematically alive, but improvement is needed, especially with contests against direct rivals on the horizon.

Today’s narrative also echoes the teams’ recent history. The previous meeting in the Cup just six weeks earlier produced a stalemate, a 0-0 draw decided only by the unpredictability of penalties after extra time. Here, the drama was served in open play, the margins just as fine.

Looking ahead, Trostianets can breathe a touch easier, but not for long. With the league’s top spot theirs to defend and rivals pressing close behind, each match assumes the weight of a title marker. Hirnyk-Sport, tasked with stemming the tide of recent defeats, must harness the fight shown in the second half if they are to alter the arc of their season.

The night ends with Trostianets still top and still believing. Their lead is slender, their resolve tested, but with autumn deepening, the road to promotion remains theirs to command—so long as they keep outrunning the doubts that come for every contender.