Kairat got the upper hand over arch rivals Astana on the penultimate day of the 2017 Kazakhstan Premier League season to boost their title hopes.
The second-half goals by Aibol Abiken and Gerard Gohou saw FC Astana well-beaten by Kairat Almaty 2-0 at the Astana Arena in a KPL Week 32 showdown on Saturday.
The hosts were misfired throughout and now have to wait until the final gameweek of the campaign to complete the defence of their league title.
After retaining bragging rights in the Two Capitald Derby, Kairat kept their chances of snatching it from the capital city alive as they sit just one point adrift of the leaders that lost their second match on the trot.
Astana fielded their strongest lineup, while Kairat missed the likes of Bayrzhan Islamkhan and Yeldos Akhmetov, with Magomed Paragulgov and Stanislav Lunin appearing as relpacements.
Roman Murtazayev unleashed the first shot of the game before his Astana fellow Marin Aničić prevented Gerard Gohou from netting following the Ivorian’s impressive run from deep.
Minutes later, Murtazayev missed the target with his attempt from the edge of the box midway through the first half.
Stas Pokatilov denied the same Murtazayev from distance then Isael nearly hit the top corner of Astana’s net with his curling free-kick.
Isael picked up where he left off after the interval, his diagonal effort being parried by goalie Nenad Erić. Kairat star Andrey Arshavin fired wide his low effort from distance.
While Carlos Alós Ferrer’s men tried to inject spark into their offensive display, Astana looked for an opener, too, but lacked cutting edge.
Substitute Chuma Anene threated after Arshavin’s though ball but in the final 19 minutes of the encounter, Kairat’s urgent approach paid off.
It was another Almaty sub who managed to put his side in front as Abiken outpaced his marker to tap in Arshavin’s corner-kick from the six-yard box.
Junior Kabananga headed the ball over the crossbar for Astana though there were more clear-cut chances at the other end of the pitch.
Those were wasted by Abiken and Anene but finally, Gohou was set up in the area by an Isael deflected ball to produce a point-blank finish, his league-leading 23rd goal of the season.
Earlier, Astana lost their defensive stalwart Yuri Logvinenko for a head injury and proved nervous in the final stages of the game, unable to come back into it and allowing the opponents to hit them on the break.
Kairat confidently secured the win, despite another blown late opportunity from Anene, to extend their unbeaten run in the big rivalry to six head-to-head games in the league play.
Still, Astana are the clear favourites to clinch the title in the final day of the season when they host Akzhayik Oral and Kairat entertain FC Aktobe in front of the home crowd in South capital.
A win would secure their nation-highest fourth consecutive league crown although if they fail to bag all three points, Kairat can steal the silverware, their first league success in 13 years.
Other Week 32 results: Akzhayik Oral 0-0 Kaisar Kyzylorda, FC Atyrau 3-2 FC Taraz, Shakhter Karagandy 1-1 Tobol Kostanay, Okzhetpes 1-2 Irtysh Pavlodar, FC Aktobe 2-0 Ordabasy Shymkent. More info to follow.
Gameweek 32 details
FC Astana v Kairat Almaty 0-2 (0-0)
28/10/2017, Astana Arena (Astana). Att: 12,000. Ref: Izmailov (Taldykorgan).
Astana (4-1-4-1): Erić – Shytaw, Logvinenko (Postnikov 79), Aničić, Shomko – Mayewski – Twumasi (Despotović 86), Beisebekov (Tomasov 74), Muzhikov, Murtazayev – Kabananga. HC: Stanimir Stoilov (BUL).
Kairat (4-1-4-1): Pokatilov – Lunin, Bateau, César Arzo, Suyumbayev – Elek (Abiken 37) – Isael, Kuat, Paragulgov (Anene 63), Arshavin (Vorogovsky 90) – Gohou. HC: Carlos Alós Ferrer (ESP).
Goals: 0-1 Abiken (71), 0-2 Gohou (88).
YC: Twumasi (45), Shomko (45+2), Bateau (45+2), Mayewski (67), Kuat (82), Pokatilov (90+3).
League standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | FC Astana | 32 | 24 | 4 | 4 | 72 | 21 | +51 | 76 |
| 2 | Kairat Almaty | 32 | 22 | 9 | 1 | 72 | 26 | +46 | 75 |
| 3 | Ordabasy Shymkent | 32 | 17 | 4 | 11 | 41 | 35 | +6 | 55 |
| 4 | Irtysh Pavlodar | 32 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 34 | 32 | +2 | 45 |
| 5 | Tobol Kostanay | 32 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 34 | 26 | +8 | 44 |
| 6 | Shakhter Karagandy | 32 | 12 | 4 | 16 | 36 | 49 | -13 | 40 |
| 7 | Kaisar Kyzylorda | 32 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 29 | 36 | -7 | 39 |
| 8 | FC Atyrau | 32 | 10 | 8 | 14 | 34 | 52 | -18 | 35* |
| 9 | FC Aktobe | 32 | 8 | 9 | 15 | 36 | 43 | -7 | 33 |
| 10 | Akzhayik Oral | 32 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 29 | 45 | -16 | 30 |
| 11 | FC Taraz | 32 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 29 | 49 | -20 | 26* |
| 12 | Okzhetpes Kokshetau | 32 | 7 | 3 | 22 | 26 | 58 | -32 | 24 |
* FC Atyrau: -3 points, FC Taraz: -6 points
Top scorers
Gerard Gohou (Kairat Almaty) − 23 (1PG), Junior Kabananga (FC Astana) – 17 (1PG), Patrick Twumasi (FC Astana) – 13 (1PG), Bauyrzhan Islamkhan (Kairat Almaty) – 11 (5PG).
Upcoming fixtures
November 5 − FC Astana v Akzhayik Oral, Kairat Almaty v FC Aktobe, Ordabasy Shymkent v Okzhetpes Kokshetau, Irtysh Pavlodar v Shakhter Karagandy, Tobol Kostanay v FC Atyrau, FC Taraz v Kaisar Kyzylorda
Les 400 coups 