YEREVAN (Interstat) — Urartu FA claimed a 3-2 victory over visiting Andranik on Tuesday at Urartu Stadium, using two goals from Miguel Rajani and another from Oege Sietse Van Lingen to answer a pair of strikes by Narek Hovhannisyan. Urartu FA moved ahead after a busy first half and protected the advantage over the closing stretch to open its competition schedule with a win. The home side finished with three goals despite falling behind early, while Andranik twice pulled level before Urartu FA found the final answer. Andranik’s two goals came from Hovhannisyan, who was the visitors’ main threat throughout.

Rajani led Urartu FA with two goals, the first coming in the 25th minute. Van Lingen added the home side’s other goal in the 32nd. Hovhannisyan scored both of Andranik’s goals, finding the net in the 18th and 39th minutes. The teams traded goals across a lively first half, and Rajani’s second goal gave Urartu FA the decisive margin. Andranik pressed for another equalizer but Urartu FA held firm through the remainder of the match and closed out the result at Urartu Stadium. The visitors kept pushing after Rajani’s second goal but could not find an equalizer.

Hovhannisyan gave Andranik the early advantage when he scored in the 18th minute. Rajani answered for Urartu FA in the 25th, and Van Lingen put the home team ahead in the 32nd. Hovhannisyan equalized in the 39th, keeping Andranik level at a point when the match had already produced four goals. Rajani scored a second goal for Urartu FA, and the home side made the lead stand over the remainder of the match. The visitors could not find a third goal despite the open pace of the contest. Urartu FA’s defense then protected the one-goal cushion as the match moved toward its final stages.

Urartu FA’s victory moved the club to 1-0 in the competition and 5-3-4 across all competitions. Andranik dropped to 0-1 in competition play and 3-2 overall. Urartu FA entered the match after a scoreless draw at Sardarapat and a 5-2 home win over Van FA in its previous two matches. Earlier this season, Urartu FA also posted a 2-2 home draw against Ararat, a 3-0 win at Gandzasar FA, a 1-1 home draw against Alashkert, a 1-0 win at Shirak Gyumri and a 3-0 home win over Syunik. The club’s overall record also includes losses to Noah FA, BKMA and Ararat-Armenia.

Andranik had won its previous three matches before the trip to Urartu Stadium, including a 2-1 victory at Urartu II and a 2-1 home win over Mika. Andranik also scored four goals in a win at Ararat-Armenia II during that run. Among its earlier results, Andranik had a 2-1 home loss to Lernayin Artsakh before the three-match winning streak. The visitors could not extend that form against Urartu FA, which answered each of Hovhannisyan’s goals and then held the lead. Urartu FA has produced several high-scoring home performances this season, including the five-goal output against Van FA.

Urartu FA is next scheduled to visit Pyunik Yerevan in Premier League play. Ararat-Armenia, Syunik, Shirak Gyumri, Alashkert, BKMA, Noah FA, Gandzasar FA, Ararat and Van FA are among the club’s upcoming opponents. The club will carry a competition win into that stretch after the home victory over Andranik. The result gave Urartu FA a second straight match without a loss across all competitions after the scoreless draw at Sardarapat.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 1-1 final. Interstat’s ELO system gave Urartu FA a 93 percent pregame win probability. Urartu FA was installed as a -1.5 favorite, and the total of 5 went under the 2.5 over/under line.