World Cup 2018 Qualifier Report: Ukraine 1 - 0 Finland

It was a case of unlucky number 13 for Finland in Odessa last night as they succumbed to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Ukraine in a vital World Cup Qualifier.

The win for Ukraine sees them leapfrog Iceland into second place in Group I after the Scandinavians were beaten 2-0 by group leaders Croatia in the earlier kick-off.

Artem Kravets notched the winning goal in the 24^th minute with a neat side-footed finish from a low cross drilled in by winger Yehven Konoplyanka who tormented the Finnish back four with his trickery all night.

The writing was on the wall for the Finns as early as the first minute when a nervous clearance by goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky led to Ukraine forcing an early corner and this was a sign of things to come.

Ukraine almost took the lead after five minutes when Andriy Yarmolenko flicked a perfectly weighted ball to right-back Bohdan Butko who crossed to Kravets who saw his looping header come back off the post.

Ukraine went close again in the 8^th minute when midfielder Taras Stepanenko laid off a pass to Yarmolenko who drove forward and hit a rasping shot which went just to the left of Hradeckys goal.

Finland offered very little in attack until the 16^th minute when a corner kick from midfielder Robin Lod broke kindly to defender Joona Toivio, but his shot went high and wide.

Ukraine continued to dominate possession and the Finnish resistance was finally breached in the 24^th minute when some sublime skill from the dangerous Konoplyanka created space for a cross which he duly delivered to the persistent Kravets who calmly slotted the all-important goal to send the home supporters into raptures.

Finland responded positively to going behind when striker Teemu Pukki forced Andriy Pyatov to save smartly and tip the ball round the post in the 33^rd minute, but the Finns failed to capitalise from the resulting corner.

Ukraine went close twice more before the break through Kovalenko and Konoplyanka before Sakari Mattila could only head the ball at Pyatov following a cross from Arkivuo.

Finland up the ante on the hour mark when they had three chances in as many minutes with the hard working Pukki shooting too high following good work by Mattila, then Lod could only shoot straight at the grateful Pyatov

Konoplyanka and Yarmolenko continued their reign of terror on the Finnish full-backs and Kravets came close to doubling their lead but his shot went wide following a cunning cross from Konoplyanka with 25 minutes left.

Konoplyanka went close for Ukraine in the 80^th minute when his effort was well saved by Hradecky after a delicious ball from Butko who offered great support in attack throughout.

Chances were few and far between in the last ten minutes as fatigue set in but Finland almost ruined the party for Andriy Shevchenko's men when the ball fell favourably to substitute Thomas Lam from the nod down from Markkinen but swung wildly at it and the ball sailed over the crossbar along with Finland’s hopes of ending their dreadful run and any faint hopes of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time ever.

Ukraine:  Andriy Pyatov, Bohdan Butko, Oleksandr Kucher, Yaroslav Rakitskiy, Eduard Sobol, Andriy Yarmolenko, Aleksander Zinchenko (Ruslan Rotan 67), Taras Stepanenko, Viktor Kovalenko (Yevhen Shakhov 89), Yevhen Konoplyanka (Viktor Tsygankov 83), Artem Kravets.

Subs Not Used: Ivan Ordets, Maksym Malyshev, Olexandr Karavayev, Oleksei Shevchenko, Denys Boyko, Serihy Sydorchuk, Artem Fedetskiy, Roman Zozulya, Artem Besedin.

Yellow Cards: Yaroslav Rakitskiy (45+1), Eduard Sobol (74), Alexander Dinchenko (55), Artem Kravets (43).

Finland: Lukas Hradecky,  Joona Toivio,  Paulus Arajuuri,  Sauli Vaisainen (Janne Saksela 83), Kari Arkivuo,  Alexander Ring (Eero Markkinen 45), Markus Halsti (Thomas Lam 63), Sakari Mattila, 2Jukka Raitala, Robin Lod, Teemu Pukki.

Subs Not Used: Roope Riski, Simon Skrabb, Albin Granlund, Jesse Joronen, Bogdan Mitrea, Juhani Ojala, Walter Viitala.

Yellow Cards: Thomas Lam (76).

Referee: Manuel De Souza (Portigal).

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Yevhen Konoplyanka (Ukraine).