Banants comeback earns Armenian Cup
Thursday, 10 May 2007
FC Banants came from behind to claim their first
Armenian Cup since 1992, emerging with a 3-1 win
against neighbours FC Ararat Yerevan after extra time.
Man advantage
Ararat dominated the opening period with Banants
goalkeeper Nenad Radaèa doing well to deny Artur
Petrosyan as he raced through on goal before Hovhannes
Harutyunyan’s shot fizzed just wide. The pressure
eventually told with Marcos Pizeli breaking the
deadlock via a 32nd-minute free-kick. Banants rallied
after the break with Ararat Arakelyan hitting the post
on 76 minutes before setting up substitute Simyon
Muradyan to head the equaliser two minutes later.
Defender Harutyunyan’s dismissal for a second bookable
offence then handed Banants a man advantage.
European ramifications
Jan Po?tulka’s team took control in extra time, with
substitute Aram Bareghamyan netting from close range
in the 108th minute. There was still time for
Banants’s Ashot Grigoryan and Ararat’s Nshan Erzrumyan
to be red-carded before Muradyan scored his second of
the night, converting a cross from the right. With
Banants already qualified for the first qualifying
round of the 2007/08 UEFA Cup as 2006 Armenian league
runners-up, FC MIKA will take up the remaining UEFA
Cup slot having finished third in the table. Ararat
will represent Armenia in the UEFA Intertoto Cup.
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