st-étienne and dnipro draw on night for keepers published: thursday 2 october 2014, 22.54cet as saint-étienne 0-0 fc dnipro dnipropetrovsk stéphane ruffier saved a first-half penalty and denys boyko made seven saves as the goalkeepers came out on top in lively encounter.
• denys boyko makes seven saves to earn dnipro a hard-earned point • st-étienne keeper stéphane ruffier saves nikola kalinić's first-half penalty • dnipro off the mark in group f but trail leaders inter by five points • next matches: inter v st-étienne, dnipro v qarabağ (23 october)
stéphane ruffier came to as saint-étienne's rescue again, saving a first-half penalty as the goalkeepers came out on top in a 0-0 uefa europa league draw with fc dnipro dnipropetrovsk.
in a match livelier than the scoreline suggests, nikola kalinić had the best chance just before the half-hour mark after being hauled down by loïc perrin. the forward went to his right but so did ruffier, turning the shot around the upright. the goalkeeper, the chief reason for the french team picking up a point at qarabağ fk in their group f opener, denied kalinić again in the second half though his opposite number perhaps shone brightest of all.
denys boyko was the busier keeper in a match that st-étienne always had the better of. max-alain gradel was at the heart of much of the home side's incisive play, a waspish presence in the final third. the back line struggled to deal with his pace and incisive running but boyko was a match, setting the tone early with a strong save at the near post.
his save to deny kévin monnet-paquet from point-blank range at the beginning of the second period perhaps bettered that – after a gradel cross, of course. he saved the best till last, though, beating away gradel's late effort to seal a triumph for the goalkeepers' union – and a draw for the teams.
