Botev Plovdiv lost 1:2 to Cherno More in a match from the 2nd round of the First League. The match was played at the Ticha Stadium in Varna.
The “Yellow-Blacks” received solid support from the visiting sector, where hundreds of Botev supporters had taken their seats.
In the second minute, David Telesh fired a dangerous shot, which ricocheted slightly, but Daniel Naumov was careful and saved.
Three minutes later, the Canaries’ goalkeeper again made a phenomenal save, parrying a shot by Weslen Junior from around the penalty spot.
Botev responded in the counterattack when Todor Nedelev found Steven Petkov, but the attacker was unable to land a strong shot.
The main referee Marian Grebencharski decorated with yellow cards the two Canaries’ final defenders in the first ten minutes of the match.
In the 17th minute Georgi Lazarov took advantage of a misunderstanding in the Canaries’ defense, advanced and with a solid shot from mid-range opened the score – 1:0.
A minute later Dimitar Tonev shot in the penalty area, Daniel Naumov saved, but on the added goal Georgi Lazarov scored his second goal of the game for 2:0.
After two minutes, only luck prevented the Yellow-Blacks from reducing the score after Ivelin Popov hit the crossbar from close range.
In the 33rd minute, Steven Petkov fired an accurate shot from over 20 meters, but Plamen Iliev was careful and caught the ball.
In the 42nd minute, the hosts were awarded a highly controversial penalty by Marian Grebencharski, but from the white spot Celso Sidney shot past Daniel Naumov’s goal.
At the very end of the first half the crossbar saved the hosts for the second time, this time after a header by Nicolas Soldo.
The second half started with a big miss by Botev. Ivelin Popov played a great pass to Alexa Marash, who advanced and stayed eye to eye with Plamen Iliev and shot over the goal.
The Canaries’ more active play gave the necessary result in the 59th minute. Alexa Marash found Nikolay Minkov on the right of the attack, the national made a bombastic shot and left no chance for Plamen Iliev – 2:1.
In the 67th minute, Weslen found himself in a dangerous position in front of Botev’s penalty area, but the ensuing shot went wide of Naumov’s goal.
In the 73rd minute, Alexa Maras again got a good opportunity, but this time he relied on his power and his accuracy betrayed him.
2 minutes later Todor Nedelev played a short corner to Andrei Yordanov, the defender centered and Ivaylo Videv rose above everyone, but shot inaccurately.
In the 85th minute the junior Samuil Tsonov made his official debut for Botev Plovdiv.
In the overtime the referee Marian Grebencharski hit a serious shoulder of the “sailors” after he stopped a dangerous attack of the “Canaries” with a non-existent foul of Nikola Iliev.
Botev’s next match is against Arda on August 4 at 21:15 at the Hristo Botev Stadium in Plovdiv.
