Dynamo Kyiv midfielder Oleksandr Pikhalonok spoke to Football Hub after the team’s 2:1 victory over Kolos Kovalivka.
– Dynamo had a very good start and scored two quick goals. Later Kolos improved and even took control of the game at times. What do you think caused that?
– We played really well in the first half, except the moment with Tsurikov, when he had two attempts – first Neshcheret made a save and then the ball went over the bar. In the second half they really managed to level the game. I honestly don’t know why it happened… We’ll analyze episodes and review everything.
– Did the upcoming Ukrainian Cup final against Chernihiv play on your minds at all? Did it create additional pressure subconsciously?
– No, not really, because we take it game by game. We try to play every match at the maximum level and then we’ll see what happens.
– How satisfied are you with beating Kolos, especially considering the negative run against them before this – two draws last season and a defeat this season?
– Of course, for a club like Dynamo being in fourth place is unacceptable. But we will try to win every game. It’s good that we got the three points today, although the second half was not very good and, you could say, was played under Kolos’s control.
– What do you think caused those problems? Or is it too early to analyze properly?
– They simply turned the game around. Kolos players started positioning themselves correctly and winning more space and second balls. When you win every loose ball, you launch attacks and stay in possession. If you lose those duels, then of course it becomes difficult and you end up defending in a low block all the time. That’s basically what happened in the second half.
