Heavily depleted after a raft of desertions, the AFC Champions League quarter-finalists grabbed their first domestic silverware after a year’s gap winning the Uzbekistan Cup on Saturday.

The title became more significant as they stunned their more fancied arch rivals Bunyodkor 1-0 in the final and gave their players a boost ahead of their continental quarter-final against Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad next month.

The two teams met in the Uzbekistan League last month when Bunyodkor prevailed 2-1 but the ACL ever-presents took a sweet revenge claiming their 10th Uzbekistan Cup crown.

Bunyodkor played more than 80 minutes with 10 men after defender Hayrulla Karimov was given his marching orders in the ninth minute.

Having the numerical advantage, Pakhtakor mounted several forays into the rival citadel and were rewarded five minutes after the half hour mark when Stanislav Andreev’s scorcher found the back of Ignatiy Nesterov’s net.

Pakhtakor are trailing Bunyodkor by 12 points in the league standings after 17 games with a match in hand.