Matchweek 12 of the Freedom QJ League is over. We recap the main storylines from the younger age categories in League A.
Freedom QJ League U-17
Shakhter surrender their lead
There were important developments in the title race.
In Pavlodar, Kairat thrashed Irtysh 5-0, with all five goals coming after the break. Radmir Vdovin, Temirlan Abzhapar, Tamerlan Sarsymbayev, Ibrakhim Asan and Dinmukhamed Zhaksybekov all found the net. Abzhapar also recorded three assists in addition to his goal.
Shakhter, meanwhile, dropped points in Taraz in a 1-1 draw. The hosts took the lead in the 66th minute through Nurdaulet Alemuly, but were reduced to ten men in the 76th minute. The Miners avoided defeat in added time when Yeldar Zholdikanov equalised.
Kairat and Shakhter now have 32 points each, but the Yellow-and-Blacks occupy top spot thanks to their superior goal difference. Both teams remain unbeaten, with 10 wins and two draws apiece.
Thriller in Aktobe
Aktobe snatched a 3-2 home victory over Ordabasy in a difficult encounter.
Ordabasy's leading scorer Almat Saparkhan opened the scoring in the 19th minute, but the hosts subsequently turned the game around. Nurali Bizhanov and Arsen Baizhanov scored six minutes apart.
Nihad Ashrafov equalised in the second half, but substitute Red-and-Whites midfielder Nurym Yertleuov scored the winner in the 89th minute.
Aktobe are unbeaten in seven consecutive matchweeks. The team moved up to fourth place and reduced the gap to Ordabasy to three points.
Almaty upset
The Red-and-Whites took fourth place away from Zhas Kyran after the Almaty side suffered a heavy 4-1 home defeat to KFF Academy.
Yerasyl Ibatulla, Zhangir Serik, Artur Abdushcheyev and Abzal Adilkhan scored for the visitors, while Bagashar Yersinuly netted the hosts' only goal.
KFF Academy therefore ended their four-match winless run. For Zhas Kyran, it was a fourth defeat in their last five matchweeks.
Freedom QJ League U-16
Kairat pull clear
The Yellow-and-Blacks also recorded a convincing victory over Irtysh in this age category, winning 4-0. Three of the goals came in the first half, with Azamat Kuttymurat scoring in the 15th minute, Kaisar Anuarbek in the 19th and Dastan Rustem converting a penalty in the 40th.
Substitute Chingiz Asanaliyev added the fourth goal in the 73rd minute.
After 12 matchweeks, Kairat U-16 have 11 wins and one draw, with 53 goals scored and only three conceded. They are seven points ahead of Shakhter. The defeat ended Irtysh's four-match unbeaten run.
Shakhter drop points again
Kairat were able to strengthen their position at the top following another setback for their closest rivals. Shakhter narrowly avoided defeat at home to Taraz. The visitors took the lead towards the end of the first half through Aibyn Kakitauly, before Miners captain Adilet Boranaly equalised in second-half added time.
Shakhter have now gone three matches without a win. It was a valuable point for Taraz, who sit second from bottom with only seven points and eight goals scored after 12 matchweeks.
Alibayev hat-trick in Kyzylorda
Tobyl claimed a 5-2 away victory over Kaisar, with the result all but decided in the first half. Diyar Balgynbayev scored in the opening minute, Nazar Kalenskiy doubled the advantage in the 19th, and Damir Alibayev struck twice before the break.
Kaisar responded in the second half through Meirzhan Sultanuly and a Nurislam Isatayev penalty, but Alibayev completed his hat-trick in the 71st minute to establish the final score. The Wolves had been playing with ten men since the 57th minute after Azim Saledinov received a second yellow card for a rough challenge.
Kaisar have lost 10 of their 12 matches and remain bottom of the table. Tobyl are sixth.
Caspiy keep their first clean sheet of the season
The Aktau side defeated Astana 2-0, with Magzhan Mukhat scoring in the 32nd minute and captain Rakhmanberdi Aleksandr adding the second in the 80th. It was the first clean sheet of the season for a team that have conceded 41 goals in 12 matchweeks. Astana, meanwhile, suffered a second consecutive defeat.
One of the key features of the U-16 competition is how tightly packed the middle of the table remains. Fourth-placed Atletico, who have 19 points, are only two points ahead of eighth-placed Irtysh on 17. Astana, Tobyl and Aktobe are between them with 18 points each.
Freedom QJ League U-15
Eight for Kairat and a Tursyn hat-trick
In the youngest age category, the leaders thrashed Irtysh 8-0.
The Almaty side went into the break with a 3-0 advantage after goals from Dias Abubakir, Abdurakhim Ongarbek and Ilfrat Yelakayev. In the second half, captain Abylai Tursyn produced an outstanding performance, completing a hat-trick in the space of 15 minutes in the 64th, 76th and 79th minutes. Dani Aubakirov and Madiyar Nadir also scored once each. Nadir failed to convert a penalty in the 71st minute but found the net in added time.
Kairat have 11 wins and one draw, with 82 goals scored and eight conceded. It was Irtysh's heaviest defeat of the season, although the Pavlodar side retained third place.
Another Tobyl victory
The Kostanay side scored seven unanswered goals away to Kaisar.
Alizhan Amirtayev recorded another hat-trick in the matchweek, scoring in the eighth, 52nd and 56th minutes. Tolegen Nurmash, Ismedzhan Bermukhambet, Ruslan Plyaskovskiy and Ildar Zharmagambetov also found the net. Like Nadir in Almaty, Plyaskovskiy failed to beat the Kaisar goalkeeper from the penalty spot in the 48th minute. However, ten minutes later he scored against Karim Klyshzhanov from open play.
The Kostanay side are comfortably second with 27 points and five clean sheets. Kaisar have already conceded 62 goals in 12 matchweeks and remain bottom of the table.
Top scorers after Matchweek 12
Freedom QJ League U-17: Timur Tugambekov (Zhas Kyran, 10 goals);
Freedom QJ League U-16: Balakhmet Adilbek (Tobyl, 13 goals);
Freedom QJ League U-15: Abylai Tursyn (Kairat, 21 goals).
Assist leaders after Matchweek 12
Freedom QJ League U-17: Temirlan Abzhapar (Kairat, 9 assists);
Freedom QJ League U-16: Damir Alibayev (Tobyl, 8 assists);
Freedom QJ League U-15: Abylai Tursyn (Kairat, 9 assists).
