Ural edge Spartak, Kuban trounce Lokomotiv
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Lokomotiv Moscow's losing streak continued as they suffered a humiliating 6-2 defeat at Kuban Krasnodar, their third loss in a row.
A brace from Paraguayan midfielder Lorenzo Melgarejo, added to goals by Vladislav Ignatiev, Igor Armash, Sergei Tkachev and an own goal by Lokomotiv back Roman Shishkin set Kuban on their way to a comfortable win. The result left Lokomotiv second, nine points behind leaders CSKA, despite suffering a 2-0 defeat in their previous league match with Rostov and crashing out of the cup in midweek with a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Amkar Perm. Reigning champions Zenit St. Petersburg, who were held to a goalless draw at home by Mordovia Saransk on Saturday, are third, a point further back.
Kuban got off to a flying start through Ignatiev, who beat visiting goalkeeper Marinato Guilherme from 15 yards following a mix-up in the Lokomotiv defence after just four minutes. Melhgarejo netted his first ten minutes later with a powerful shot from just inside the area after a breakaway run.
Armash made it 3-0 in the 19th minute with a diving header from a well-struck free kick, while Melgarejo became the league's leading scorer with his eighth goal of the season when he hit his second of the match eight minutes later.
Tkachev scored Kuban's fifth seven minutes before the break. Lokomotiv stepped up a gear after the interval and reduced the arrears through Senegalese forward Baye Oumar Niasse and midfielder Alexander Kolomeitsev before Shishkin put the ball in his own net in stoppage time.
"It seems that our two early goals knocked Lokomotiv down and we managed to gain a commanding lead in the first half," Kuban manager Sergei Tashuev said. "After the break we lost concentration a little bit, allowing Lokomotiv to score twice. Luckily, we managed to increase our lead later to secure the victory."
Earlier on Sunday, the other club from Russia's southern city Krasnodar, who finished third last season, recorded a 4-0 away win at Samara to go seventh. Russian international midfielder Pavel Mamaev netted a brace, while forwards Fedor Smolov and Ari added one each to secure the FC Krasnodar's well-deserved win.
Ural moved to within one point of opponents Spartak Moscow with a 1-0 away win thanks to a late goal from Gerson Acevedo and Rubin Kazan beat Anzhi 2-1 thanks to an early brace from Marko Devic.