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On Tuesday, in the Lithuanian football "A Lyga", the 14th round matches took place. Both championship leaders secured victories against Vilnius clubs, "Šiauliai" defeated Vilnius, a dramatic draw against "Sūduva" snatched by Vilnius, and "Nevėžis" unexpectedly lost to "Atlantas".
Klaipėda's "Atlantas" needed to beat the absolute outsider "Nevėžis" in order not to fall behind the two leaders, but the Kėdainiai team managed to hold their ground against their opponents in a match held in Kaunas and earn the third point of the season.
However, the fourth-placed Vilnius "Vėtra" failed to reduce the gap from "Atlantas", losing to the "Kaunas" team at home after a nervy battle. The victory for the Kaunas team was sealed by G. Barevičius' goal in the second half, although the "Vėtra" defenders came close to clearing the ball from the goal line.
Continuing the dominating form, the league leader Panevėžys "Ekranas" thrashed their opponents, scoring four goals in Vilnius against the local "Žalgiris". Among the scorers were V. Kavaliauskas, G. Paulauskas, and M. Savėnas, with V. Kavaliauskas and M. Savėnas now sharing the top spot in the highest goalscorers list with 8 goals each.
"Šiauliai" secured their third victory of the season, defeating the "Šilutė" team at home.
In Šiauliai, interesting and fierce matches took place, with a record number of 1650 spectators at the Šiauliai stadium this season. The match, officiated by FIFA category referee Audrius Žuta from Klaipėda, began with attacks from both teams, and the "Šilutė" team had a couple of good chances. The first goal was scored by G. Butavičius after a corner, followed by a goal from A. Šidlauskas who infiltrated the penalty area. The "Šilutė" team managed to reduce the deficit with a goal from R. Šmitas in added time.
After the match, "Šilutė" assistant coach Rimas Čeliauskas mentioned injuries as the main reason for the defeat, stating they are missing key players and need to adapt to the situation. Asked about strengthening the team from July 1, team manager R. Česnulis mentioned plans to enhance the team, emphasizing the importance of teamwork on the field rather than individual players' names. He also revealed plans for a match on July 28 with Klaipėda's "Atlantas" in a newly renovated Šilutė stadium.
"Šiauliai" coach Vytas Jančiauskas spoke about the tense match, highlighting the psychological pressure felt by both teams. He praised his team for fighting well and mentioned the impact of substitutions on the game.
Dramatic were the games between Marijampolė's "Sūduva" and "Vilnius". The visitors from the capital initially scored, but with six minutes left in the match, the Brazilian player O. Braga turned the game around with two goals. However, "Vilnius" managed to equalize in the last minute through R. Radavičius, securing a point in the battle against their table neighbor.
Table standings
Round 14 statistics
Vilnius "Žalgiris" stadium, 800 spectators
0 - 4
7' [0 - 1] Vitalijus Kavaliauskas
59' [0 - 2] Vitalijus Kavaliauskas
65' [0 - 3] Gediminas Paulauskas
82' [0 - 4] Mantas Savėnas
...
