MOSCOW, August 17 (R-Sport) - Both sides squandered a host of chances to ensure Saturday's Russian Premier League clash between Ural Mountains rivals Ural Yekaterinburg and Amkar Perm ended in a 0-0 draw.
The clubs entered the 2013-14 season as potential relegation candidates and did nothing but reinforce that status in a low-quality encounter that sees them both remain in the mid-to-lower echelons of the table.
Amkar join FC Kuban and Rubin Kazan on six points, while Ural move from 12th to ninth with five.
Ural striker Artur Sarkisov missed the hosts' best chances, while Martin Jakubko was chief culprit for Amkar.
"You have to admit that both teams had chances and it was probably fair that none were taken," Amkar boss Stanislav Cherchesov said in televised comments.
Oleg Vasilenko, Ural's caretaker manager, appeared more satisfied with the result.
"I want to thank the players because they followed their instructions to the letter. ... Unfortunately, we could turn any possession into goals today," he said.
Amkar goalkeeper Sergei Narubin saved smartly from Ural striker Edgar Manucharyan early on, before the visitors nearly took the lead themselves. Ural defender Milan Vjestica made a desperate last-ditch clearance with Amkar's Jakubko waiting to tap a cross into an empty net.
The scene was replayed moments later, with Vjestica's partner in defense Denis Tumasyan the hero this time.
At the other end, Ural's Sarkisov was too sluggish when clean through, allowing a defender to block his shot, while Jakubko had a free header from eight yards out that he contrived to send over the bar.
The second half saw several more missed chances with Sarkisov failing to turn a simple cross in for Ural and Amkar's Jakubko muscled out when through on goal.
Narubin got down quickly to save a last-minute header from Vjestica, bringing the curtain down on a disappointing game.
Later Saturday, Anzhi Makhachkala travel to Zenit St. Petersburg looking for their first win of the season, before Terek Grozny host Lokomotiv Moscow.
On Sunday, champions CSKA Moscow entertain FC Kuban; Spartak play Rubin Kazan; FC Tomsk travel to Krylya Sovetov; and Dynamo Moscow could test a trio of new signings from Anzhi against FC Krasnodar.
Surprise early league leaders FC Rostov host FC Volga on Monday.
