KOSTROMA, Russia (Interstat) — S. Kostroma defeated Chelyabinsk 1-0 Tuesday in a football match dominated by a single second-half moment and a late flurry of yellow cards. Dimitri Gurtskaia scored the only goal in the 48th minute, and the home side made that strike stand up through the remainder of the game. The result gave S. Kostroma a 1-0 record in the competition and moved the club to 1-1 across all competitions. Chelyabinsk fell to 0-1 in the competition and 1-1-1 overall. The visitors arrived with more recent scoring success, having beaten FK Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 4-2 and drawn 1-1 with Yenisey earlier this season, but they could not break through in Kostroma. The home team’s goal came early enough in the second half to allow it to defend with a lead for more than 40 minutes.

The decisive play came three minutes after halftime. Gurtskaia, who played 73 minutes and finished with one goal, converted the game’s only scoring chance in the 48th. Before that goal, S. Kostroma had struggled to create a clear advantage, while Chelyabinsk looked capable of controlling stretches of possession. After the goal, the match shifted. Chelyabinsk had to chase the game, and S. Kostroma dropped deeper to protect its lead. The home side had lost its previous match 3-2 at Arsenal Tula, so the clean sheet and narrow victory represented a sharp change in outcome.

Chelyabinsk’s inability to score was the central frustration of its night. The visiting side had shown attacking form in earlier competition play, including a four-goal performance in a win, but it was held without a goal in this match. Chelyabinsk pushed numbers forward in the second half and tried to create pressure around S. Kostroma’s penalty area, yet the final pass or finish was missing. S. Kostroma’s defense and midfield absorbed the pressure, and the clock became an ally for the home team.

Discipline shaped the closing stages. S. Kostroma’s Malyarov received a yellow card in the 35th minute. Kamilov was booked in the 64th minute, and Bugriev followed with a yellow card in the 84th. Chelyabinsk’s Safronov was booked in the 85th minute, and S. Kostroma’s Karaev was also shown a yellow card in the 85th. Kamilov then received a second yellow card in the 86th minute. In total, S. Kostroma collected five yellow cards and Chelyabinsk one. The bookings interrupted the flow of the match and added tension as Chelyabinsk searched for an equalizer. They also forced both benches to manage the final minutes carefully, with players aware that another foul could carry greater consequences.

Both teams turned to substitutions. At halftime, Chelyabinsk’s changes involved N’Diaye and Kacorri. S. Kostroma then made one change at the break, with Demchenko involved, and Chelyabinsk also used Miroshnichenko in the same stoppage. Chelyabinsk made another substitution in the 61st minute when Samoilov entered the match. S. Kostroma substituted Gurtskaia and Chervyakov in the 73rd minute, then Kirakosyan in the 76th. Chelyabinsk’s Kochiev followed in the 83rd, and S. Kostroma’s Nikiforenko came on in the 87th. The changes gave each side fresh legs, but neither could produce another goal. Chelyabinsk’s late pressure did not yield an equalizer, and S. Kostroma’s back line held firm through the final whistle.

The victory gave S. Kostroma a valuable result at home and a winning start in the competition. Chelyabinsk, meanwhile, remained without a competition win and continued a mixed overall start that now includes one win, one loss and one draw. S. Kostroma’s overall record is 1-1. The narrow margin reflected the game’s defining feature: one goal in the 48th minute was enough to separate the teams.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Chelyabinsk 3, S. Kostroma 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Chelyabinsk with a 73.7 percent probability to win.