Vyacheslav Koydan broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute as FC "Chernihiv" defeated "Metalurh" Zaporizhzhia 2-0 in Thursday's promotion playoff second leg, securing their place in Ukraine's First League with a commanding 5-0 aggregate victory.
The visitors entered the June 12 clash with a comfortable three-goal advantage from the first leg and professionally finished the job against their Second League opponents. Not even the home advantage could help "Metalurh" overcome the significant deficit.
By the way, the hosts failed to score even a single goal across both matches, highlighting their offensive struggles when it mattered most.
"Metalurh" faced an uphill battle from the start and despite their efforts, couldn't generate enough quality chances to threaten a comeback. The breakthrough eventually came for the visitors just after the hour mark when Koydan found the net to effectively end any remaining suspense.
Maxym Shumylo added insult to injury in the 84th minute, doubling "Chernihiv's" advantage and putting an exclamation point on what turned out to be a straightforward promotion campaign.
The 5-0 aggregate scoreline tells the full story – a dominant performance over two legs that leaves no doubt about which team deserved the promotion spot. "Chernihiv" kept a clean sheet in both matches, showing they're well-prepared for the challenges of the higher division.
With this decisive victory, "Chernihiv" has earned their spot in Ukraine's First League for the upcoming season. Will they continue their impressive form against stronger opposition? Only time will tell, but based on this playoff performance, they certainly look ready for the challenge.
