Mykhaylo Fomenko marked his first competitive game in charge of Ukraine with an impressive 3-1 victory against Poland in Warsaw with a side based on Dynamo Kyiv, five players of which took part in the game observed by the presidents of both countries.
Two goals inside the opening seven minutes from Andriy Yarmolenko and Oleh Gusev put the visitors in control before Borussia Dortmund full-back Łukasz Piszczek trimmed the deficit. Roman Zozulya scored the game's fourth and final goal on the stroke of half-time to enable Ukraine to leapfrog their UEFA EURO 2012 co-hosts into third in Group H.
The contest was just two minutes old when Yarmolenko displayed nimble footwork before powering a shot beyond the reach of Artur Boruc. The Southampton FC goalkeeper barely had time to catch his breath before being beaten again, this time by Gusev from long range.
Captain Jakub Błaszczykowski, winning his 60th Poland cap, spearheaded the home response, caressing the ball into the path of Piszczek, who slotted in. Optimism turned to disappointment, however, when Ukraine midfielder Zozulya finished off a sweeping team move.
There was no back for Poland after the break, leaving coach Waldemar Fornalik to bemoan his side's inability to stifle Yarmoleno. "We knew how dangerous Yarmolenko would be, but our defenders were too slow to close him down," said the 49-year-old. "We played OK but the fourth goal was the final blow."
