This game kicked off to chants of ‘Putin Khuylo’ (Putin is a dickhead).

The modern evil monster overshadowed an eve-of-Halloween clash at 3.30pm on a Wednesday.

Third, the wolfmen of Polissya, versus Ukraine Premier League fifth and the kids, off school for half term, were out in droves.

And thank God it wasn’t a league game but the Kybok, the Ukrainian cup, current holders Shakhtar.

NO back four fannying around at the back to waste 20 minutes. AT ALL!

NO as-a-matter-of-course post-challenge writhing, wriggling or yelping. Those who went to ground with this in mind soon got up sheepishly and returned to action.

NO crowding the ref to moan, dispute decisions.

And NO goalies – are we allowed to say ‘goalies’ this millennium? – taking half a minute to get the ball back in play. Well done both of you.

It was like football in the 20th century. None of yer modern muck. I swear I saw the ghost of Terry Butcher on the bench.

Best of all, it was a cracking match, first half especially, enjoyed by all but the two Kryvbas fans in attendance.

It was preceded by this motley lot, below, marching in to sector 15 to a drumbeat (drummer did not wear a balaclava) 40 minutes before kick-off.

All in black, some may even have started shaving (not the girls). Not many looked over 19.

Anyway, they marched four abreast to their seats for a choreographed repertoire of chants throughout the game. Nothing off the cuff, but the only ones to make a song and dance.

Polissya dominated from the off but an unlucky ricochet set up a Krybas counter and No 94 – 94 for God’s sake what’s going on? Someone’s gonna wear a No 101 shirt soon. Just for giggles. Stop it now Fifa, I am warning everyone and his dog. This has gone too far.

Anyway, 94 is Maxim Zaderaka and he put the opener away sweetly. The two-strong Kryvbas crew were cock a hoop.

Classic cup match: team that was being outclassed take the lead.

Kryvbas goalie Andrii Klishchuk kept his boys in the game with several good saves as Polissya looked like they would crash out despite playing most of the football.

But there was a big break before break. Some soccer ubernerds have calculated that Polissya are the biggest team in Ukraine – average 184cm.

Lumber forward big bugger from the back Borys Krushynski – I wonder if his nickname is Crusher – who is apparently 190cm and a current Ukraine under-21 squad member, to head home from a cross after a free kick wasn’t cleared.

1-1 at the break and time for some light stuff from the two people in wolf’s clothing, competing to thread the ball through two cones as per below – entertainment for those kids who weren’t too interested in the football.

I lost interest almost immediately.

Anyway, here’s one of them trying to look spooky in the pop-up fan zone outside the ground:

And a beat-the-wolf blow-up gizmo and some face painting and table football:

Yeah, it was great.

Second half couldn’t really have topped the first period. But there was no letting up. Both sides provided a cracking cup tie that Barry Davies would’ve loved – I’ll go easy on the 20th century football gush soon.

Darkness encroached on the game, making Kryvbas’s choice of kit, black with red bits, look even more bizarre.

And we got a winner. Oleksiy Hutsuliak on 72 headed in a cross from six yards. Kryvbas goalie got a hand on it but failed to keep it out – bit tough on him as he’d kept the visitors in the game for so long. Quite remarkable!

It wasn’t all over though. Loads of subs came on. It seemed like they’d jetted in from all over the world.

Shakhtar Donetsk have been big on Brazilians – not the pubic depilation – for years and it’s spread across Ukraine.

Polissya started two – Paixao and Vialle – and brought Talles on. Kryvbas threw on Amoroso.

Even Kyiv newbies Livyi Bereh have one Sydnnei – yes, with two ‘n’s’. Nnow that’sjust nnuts!

We nearly got extra time as Kryvbas hit the post very late on.

Seconds later the cracking ref – no histrionics and far better than the guy who reffed the country’s biggest game three days earlier – blew for the end of a super match. In wartime you need stuff like this.

It’s no coincidence but the two best games I’ve sen here were Kybok clashes: this and Karpaty being shocked by a semi pro outfit from Poltava in a game – entry was free – that featured demented local teens detonating huge ‘bomb’ fireworks that exploded at regular intervals.

Last word lies with the mini-wolves – the ultras staged their final howl at the moon, and why not, through a sycamore-leaf strewn avenue outside the ground.

So it’s Nos da from me and goodnight from them.