Seasters vs Shakhtar: match report

Shakhtar women’s team head coach Roman Zaiev selected the following line-up for the clash with Seasters: Ustinova took the place between the sticks, Lutsan, Henyk and Kravchuk played as defenders, Zavidova, Kotovets, Starukhina and Holovach appeared in midfield, with Chaika and Myronenko spearheading the attack.

Goalless first half with chances at both ends

Both teams took a cautious approach in the opening minutes, sizing each other up and threatening mainly with long-rangers, though the goalkeepers remained confident. The game then moved into a positional battle, with Shakhtar enjoying a slight territorial advantage, yet without creating danger near Klimova’s goal. Seasters, meanwhile, were sharp on interceptions and launched fast attacks after winning the ball. Colmenares stood out as the biggest threat, she skipped between two defenders and broke into a shooting position, but Lutsan managed to block her effort at the last moment. The hosts gradually seized the initiative, playing fluidly around the visitors’ penalty area. Bondarieva had a promising chance after a lofted pass, but her header drifted went wide. The Orange-and-Blacks responded with an equally dangerous attack: Myronenko’s splitting pass sent Holovach one-on-one with the goalkeeper, yet the captain missed the target. Seasters spent much of their time in Shakhtar’s half and looked threatening mostly after high deliveries. In the 41st minute, following a header from Nelson, Ustinova produced a stunning save to keep the score level.

A bitter late goal

The second half opened with a big chance for Shakhtar: Kotovets played a diagonal pass to the opposite flank, finding Chaika in a shooting position; she brought the ball down and sent her effort just centimetres over the bar. After that, Seasters took control of possession and increased the pressure minute by minute, though Shakhtar’s back line held firm and denied the visitors any clean efforts on goal. The Orange-and-Blacks defended, launching attacks after winning the ball back from the opposition, and Chaika again found herself in a shooting position. However, she opted to play through a teammate and the move ended without a shot. In the 73rd minute, Maiborodina threatened Ustinova’s goal with a sprint and a direct effort from the central semicircle, but fired high. Shortly afterwards, Shakhtar coaching staff made a triple substitution, bringing on Vykaliuk, Sikorska and Veherych. The Odesa-based team kept pushing and eventually turned their pressure into the opening goal, with Ngandi finding the net. The closing stages were tense: In the 89th minute Manziuk was shown a straight red card, leaving Seasters a player down, but the Orange-and-Blacks ran out of time to make their numerical advantage count and equalise.

0-1 – Shakhtar women's team lost to Seasters in Odesa. Roman Zaiev’s side will play their next league game against Vorskla Poltava on December 14.

Seasters Odesa 1-0 (0-0) Shakhtar Donetsk

Odesa, Chornomorets

Goal: 1-0 Ngandi (85′)

Shakhtar: Ustinova, Lutsan, Henyk, Kravchuk, Zavidova (Vykaliuk, 80′), Kotovets, Kuksa, Starukhina (Sikorska, 81′), Myronenko (Veherych, 81′), Holovach, Chaika

Sent off: Manziuk (89′, straight red card)