Vladlen Yurchenko: It feels like all the shots on target are hitting us, no matter where they come from

Metalist 1925 midfielder Vladlen Yurchenko commented on the draw result of the match against Obolon in the 25th round of the Ukrainian Premier League championship.

— Vladlen, why didn’t your team succeed in the first half?

— Already at the beginning of the game we conceded a goal. Chernenko shot from a distance into the top nine. It feels like all the shots on target are hitting us, no matter where they come from. Then the guests had more chances to complete set pieces. But we survived.

In the second half, the picture on the football field changed – we took the initiative. I think that after the break we could have scored four goals and finished the game. But we can’t really score. Sidorov struck Fedorivsky only once. We played 1:1. I believe that in the second half we completely outplayed Obolon.

— In the current situation, for Metalist 1925, did you gain one point or lose two points?

– Of course, this is a loss of two points.

— From the stands of the stadium it was clear that the Kharkov team was better prepared physically…

– I agree with this. We forced the opponent to defend. Some Obolon players suffered from cramps. But we can’t score a goal.

— Metalist 1925 has a streak of 13 matches without victories. When will you win?

— I can’t say that this series puts pressure on us. We really want to win. We add more from game to game. We understand that there is little time before the end of the season, but we hope for quick victories.

— You have a trip to Krivoy Rog ahead. Will it be even more difficult than today?

— Another difficult match awaits us. Krivbass is among the leaders this season, but we can withstand any opponent.

— If we compare the quality of your team’s play in March and now, has Metalist 1925 become stronger?

— I think that we have started to play much stronger. We are improving with every match.