The finish to the First League, supported by „TOPsport“, is shaping up to be worthy of a Netflix series script. In the 27th round, Plungė’s „Babrungas“ did everything they could to keep the championship and the promotion playoff spot undecided until the very end of the season.
Cinema. „Absolute cinema“, „Incredible comeback“ – such fan reviews flooded in after the leaders’ clash. On Saturday in Kretinga, the „Minija“ footballers probably already had the league crown mentally placed on their heads. The Kretinga team, starting the second half energetically, led 2:0 in the 68th minute after a shot by Sergejus Amirzianas. But Plungė’s „Babrungas“ had their own plan. First, Eridanas Bagužas scored a stunning goal in the 72nd minute. Soon after, Dmytro Sula headed in a high cross. Finally, in the 90th minute, Lukas Čepkauskas fired a precise shot from the edge of the penalty area. Thanks to the 3:2 victory, „Babrungas“ with 67 points caught up to „Minija“ in the league table and holds the head-to-head advantage (won the first match 1:0). However, the Kretinga team still has a game in hand – even if „Babrungas“ wins all their remaining three matches, „Minija“ needs just as many wins and one draw.
The representatives of Kaunas „Be1“ also watched the leaders’ showdown with bated breath. If the Plungė team had lost, the Kaunas team would still have had theoretical hopes of fighting for second place and the promotion playoff spot. That didn’t happen, but „Be1“ did their part flawlessly. In the 27th round, the Kaunas team defeated Klaipėda’s „Neptūnas“, who were chasing them, 2:0 at home. 17-year-old Tomas Gudaitis scored a brace in the 9th and 25th minutes. „Be1“, with 54 points, is only one win away from a bronze medal in their remaining 4 matches.
Repeated. The result of the leaders’ battle (3:2) was repeated by the participants of the other two Saturday matches. Vilnius’s „Žalgiris“ B lost 2:3 to Mažeikiai’s „Atmosfera“. Playing at home, the Vilnius team won the first half 1:0 but missed the beginning of the second half and was already trailing 1:2 in the 50th minute. Vakaris Berenta equalized in the 56th minute to make it 2:2, and with 17 goals, he is the top scorer of the championship along with Kaunas’s T. Gudaitis. However, Mažeikiai’s defender Mangirdas Stasys had the last word, joining the attack in the 86th minute and unexpectedly unleashing a long-range shot into the bottom corner. For the 19-year-old, this was the first goal of his career in men’s football.
Five goals were scored in the match between „Šiauliai“ B and „Garliava“, with three of them scored by 17-year-olds. The hosts finished the first half tied 1:1, but after the break, 17-year-old Ignas Giedraitis scored a brace in just 4 minutes (58th and 62nd minutes), deciding the 3:2 victory for the visitors from Kaunas district. „Šiauliai“, with 18 points, still have hopes of climbing from the second-to-last 15th position. To do so, they need to win at least two of their remaining three matches and hope that both teams above them in the Kaunas region – „Hegelmann“ B (14th place) and „Kauno Žalgiris“ B (13th place, 23 points each) – lose all three of their remaining games.
Captain. Over the weekend, „Kauno Žalgiris“ reserves lost 0:2 to the youth team of Vilnius district’s „TransINVEST“. The hosts were not saved by former Lithuanian national team captain Fedoras Černychas, who was called up from the main team. For the 35-year-old midfielder, who previously shone in Poland and played in championships in Cyprus and even India, this was his first career match in the First League. In the second half, Kirilas Levšinas (58th min.) and Tomas Steponavičius (85th min.) sealed the victory. „TransINVEST“ B, with 25 points, climbed to 12th place, but they are only two points away from the relegation zone.
The youth of Kaunas district’s „Hegelmann“ B hosted Tauragė’s „Tauras“ in a goal-fest. Before halftime, Lukas Jonaitis and Dominykas Pašilys gave the hosts a 2:1 lead, but the visiting legionaries and midfielder Nedas Totilas responded with three goals – 2:4. Just when it seemed that „Tauras“ would take all three points, midfielder Rokas Sinkevičius proved he can do more than just defend. Two of his shots (81st and 93rd minutes) secured a 4:4 draw.
Returnee. Among the outsiders, Panevėžys’s „Ekranas“ is in the saddest situation. The representatives of the Aukštaitija capital again did not look hopeless, scoring the first goal, but lost 1:3 to Alytus’s „Dainava“. The visitors from Dzūkija sealed the main points after the break, when Ukrainian Stanislav Morarenka scored his 4th goal in 4 rounds, and Kasparas Sacevičius solidified „Dainava’s“ lead. To avoid relegation, „Ekranas“ must win all their remaining three matches and hope that all three of their closest competitors stumble.
The situation for the mid-table teams, „Jonava“ and Vilnius BFA, is much calmer at the finish line. In their head-to-head match, „Jonava“ quickly knocked out the visitors from the capital with a 3:0 victory. Nikas Benevičius scored in the 8th and 21st minutes, and in the 10th minute, Regnaras Krotas, who returned to Lithuania from the „Pafos“ club academy in Cyprus in the summer, scored his first goal of the season.
Information from 1lyga.lt;
