Russia forward Alexander Kokorin scored twice to give Dynamo Moscow a 2-1 away win over Mordovia Saransk in the Russian Premier League on Sunday.
After Dynamo's disastrous start to the season it was a welcomed third win in four matches for Dan Petrescu's beleaguered side. It lifts them once place to 13th in the table.
Newly promoted Mordovia remain second from bottom in 15th.
The 21-year-old Kokorin scored the opener on six minutes with a sublime curled effort from the left side of the penalty area that bounced in off the far post.
Mordovia equalized on the hour mark in controversial circumstances: Ruslan Mukhametshin scored a retaken penalty after Dynamo goalkeeper Anton Shunin had saved his first attempt.
The reason for the retake appeared to be encroaching by Mordovia players themselves.
But Dynamo restored the lead three minutes later, as Kokorin sent a bullet header past Dmitry Abakumov from Hungarian winger Balazs Dzsudzsak's cross.
It was a good end to a bad week for Dynamo, whose players were shot at by disgruntled fans wielding paintball guns at their training base near Moscow on Friday.
Police are investigating the incident.
Mordovia midfielder Evgeny Aldonin, on loan from CSKA Moscow, shot high in the first effort of the match.
On 23 minutes, Dzsudzsak tried to repeat Kokorin’s trick and hit from the same spot, but Mordovia stopper Abakumov was alive to it this time and saved.
Kokorin could have had his brace sooner, when former German international striker Kevin Kuranyi sent him one-on-one with the keeper. Abakumov saved one-handed to keep his side in it.
Dynamo's Igor Semshov had to replace Kuranyi when the forward turned his ankle after an air collision with a Mordovia defender, and was carried off the pitch.
Anton Bober could have pulled out a draw for the hosts when he got the ball from Mukhametshin in the box but sent the ball wide off the post.
Shunin made two reactive saves deep into stoppage time when Tomislav Dujmovic, on loan from Dynamo, struck from close range and then Bober had a follow-up shot from the rebound.
Later Sunday, FC Rostov host Lokomotiv Moscow, while Monday will see Krylya Sovetov facing FC Volga.
