Bandy match descends into chaos after teams score 20 own goals between them

Two bandy teams that scored 20 own goals in a single match so they could "draw easy opponents" in a play-off face hefty disciplinary action.

The domestic Russian Super League game between Baikal-Energiya and Vodnik descended into chaos in the 68th minute with the teams tied at 0-0.

With just under a quarter of the fixture to play, the match took an unexpected twist when Vodnik's Oleg Pivovarov put three goals into the back of his own net.

Baikal-Energiya responded quickly with nine own goals of their own, only for Pivovarov to then put a further eight past his own defence - all in the space of 22 minutes.

At the final whistle Baikal-Energiya ran out 11-9 winners.

But both teams could now find themselves on the wrong end of disciplinary action after Russia's Bandy Federation president accused them of throwing away the tie in order to "play against a convenient team" in the upcoming play-offs.

Not well known outside of Russia and Scandinavia, bandy is a relative of ice hockey played on a large outdoor rink with a rubber ball.

But semi-professional Baikal-Energiya and Vodnik face "very tough measures" for their own goal fest, president Boris Skrynnik warned.

He accused Vodnik of kicking off the extravaganza because they didn't want to face the league's reigning champions in their next match.

Skrynnik criticised Vodnik for what he described as an attempt to set up a clash with a "convenient team".

The result mattered less to Baikal-Energiya, who were already assured of facing a much weaker club in the playoffs.

As a result, its players "decided to have some fun" and score own goals too, Skyrnnik claimed.

Sunday's game echoed a football match in 2002, where Madagasca's Stade Olympique de l'Emyrne scored a record 149 own-goals in protest against the referee.