Matvii Ponomarenko, the scorer of the second goal for Veres (3-0), commented on the match in which he scored his debut goal in the Ukrainian championship.
Matvii Ponomarenko. Photo by Yurii Yuriev- Congratulations on your debut goal in the UPL. Tell us how you scored.
- Thank you. There was a flank attack, Buyalsky rolled into the penalty area to Voloshin, and Nazar looked up and saw me free. I made a touch and scored the goal.
- You also took part in the third goal-scoring attack, dispersing the attack from the centre of the pitch.
- Yes, the opponent ran forward to reduce the deficit, and we played on the counterattack. Brazhko spotted me in the centre of the pitch, and I, in turn, was brought out one-on-one with goalkeeper Voloshin. Nazar made the right decision, did not shoot himself, but rolled Shepeleva into an empty net.
- What are your emotions about the first goal you scored in a Dynamo shirt in an official match?
- Of course, emotions are overwhelming. I really wanted to score for the first team, and, to be honest, today I even had some kind of premonition.
- Has the team already congratulated you?
- Yes, everyone in the locker room congratulated me verbally.
- Who helps you adapt to the first team the most?
- Buyalsky, Yarmolenko, probably. They support me, give me advice on how to act in a given situation.
- Despite the competition at the striker position, you get your playing time. Do you feel the trust of the head coach?
- Yes, I do - we talk all the time, he gives me advice. As for today's match, Supryaga was ill, so I came on the pitch, did my job - and that's it.
- Are you more focused on playing for the youth team or are you more focused on the first team?
- Of course, the main goal is to play for the first team. But if the youth team needs me, I'm ready to help them.
- Is it difficult to switch from one team to another?
- At first it was a bit hard - both physically and psychologically. But now I'm used to it, so everything is fine.
- What instructions did the coach give you before going on the pitch?
- Today, he didn't say anything - he just called me, I changed my clothes and went out on the pitch.
- Vanat misses the next match. Are you ready to be in the starting line-up?
- If there is a chance, then of course I am ready.
- Did you expect Veres to play so well in defence in the first half?
- In the previous game, we lost points against them, so today we were only aiming to win. Yes, in the first half they played well in defence, but we managed to score before the break and the game was effectively over. They opened up, free areas started to form, we scored and brought the match to a confident victory.
