Ervīns Pērkons begins Imishli spell with victory
Latvian coach Ervīns Pērkons made a winning start as interim head coach of Azerbaijani Premier League side Imishli, guiding his team to a 1-0 home victory over fourth-placed Turan Tovuz. The result ended Imishli’s four-match losing streak and marked only their second league victory of the season.
Photo: PFK Imisli/Facebook The 36-year-old Latvian joined Imishli during the summer as a set-piece coach before gradually taking on additional responsibilities within the coaching staff, eventually becoming an assistant coach.
Earlier this week, the club decided to part ways with Azerbaijani head coach Farid Namazov following four consecutive league defeats, appointing Pērkons as interim manager.
His first assignment was far from straightforward, with Imishli hosting a Turan Tovuz side that had enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign. The visitors arrived unbeaten in their previous four matches, having suffered just one defeat in their opening seven league fixtures.
Despite entering the encounter as underdogs, Imishli made the breakthrough in the 25th minute following a long throw-in. The delivery caused problems inside the visitors’ penalty area, with Brazilian forward Diogo Rollo reacting quickest to the loose ball in front of goal and turning it into the net.
The goal proved decisive, although Pērkons’ side faced considerable pressure for the remainder of the contest. Turan Tovuz pushed forward in search of an equaliser, forcing Imishli to spend long periods defending their narrow advantage.
However, the hosts remained resilient and successfully protected their lead until the final whistle, securing three valuable points in the Latvian coach’s first match in charge.
The victory was Imishli’s second in eight league matches this season and lifted their points tally to seven. They currently occupy ninth place in the 12-team Azerbaijani Premier League standings.
Imishli will look to build on the victory next Sunday when they host Shamakhi in their next league fixture.
