Serhiy Nazarenko scored a goal in each half as Ukraine rallied to beat Kazakhstan 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier on Wednesday and keep alive its chances of reaching next year's finals, AP reported.
The result left Ukraine third in Group 6 with 11 points, trailing second-place Croatia only on goal difference after six games. Group leader England was playing Andorra later.
Ukraine completely dominated the game but it was Tanat Nusserbaev who headed in from a goalmouth scramble to give Kazakhstan a 19th minute lead.
Five minutes later Andriy Voronin missed a chance to equalize, lobbing the ball over goalkeeper Alexander Mokin and the crossbar from 10 meters.
Nazarenko leveled with a powerful free kick from 28 meters into the top left corner. Mokin blocked another powerful free kick from 20 meters five minutes later.
Nazarenko scored Ukraine's winner in the 47th minute after collecting a pass from Artem Milevsky in the box. The margin of victory would have been greater were it not for a series of saves from Mokin and and a header from Yevgen Seleznyov in the 81st which struck the post.
Kazakhstan pressed for an equalizer in the closing minutes but failed to capitalize on its chances.