Football: Boksic boosts Lazio

Lokomotiv Moscow 1 Lazio 1

ALEN BOKSIC came off the substitutes' bench to fire in a 77th- minute equaliser and earn Lazio a 1-1 draw at Lokomotiv Moscow in their European Cup-Winners' Cup semi-final first leg yesterday.

The Georgian international striker Zaza Dzhanashia, who scored a hat- trick in Lokomotiv's quarter-final victory over Maccabi Haifa, had put the Russian side ahead in the 61st minute when he rounded the Lazio goalkeeper Luca Marchegiani and finished expertly on the turn.

On a difficult, bumpy surface, both sides created good chances, with the Italian Serie A leaders finishing the game strongly after Boksic, their Croatian international forward, had brought the scores level.

The Lokomotiv goalkeeper Ruslan Nigmatullin denied Dejan Stankovic from close range with three minutes remaining, but Lazio will be more than happy with the away draw.

Lokomotiv Moscow: Nigmatullin; Arifullin, Drozdov, Kharlachyov (Maminov, 85), Cherevchenko, Chugainov, Smertin (Loskov, h-t), Gurenko, Dzhanashia, Lavrik, Bulykin (Borodyuk, 85)

Lazio: Marchegiani; Negro, Favalli, Lombardo, Mihajlovic, Pancaro, Stankovic, De la Pena, Almeyda, Salas (Mancini, 73), Vieri (Boksic, 65).

Referee: G Vessiere (France).