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Panevėžio "Ekranas" finished the III round with a victory at the "Aukštaitija" stadium on Monday after a tough battle in the 27th round of the "General Financing A lyga" with a score of 2-0 (0-0) against the "Kruoja" team.
Due to yellow cards, Egidijus Varnas couldn't help Panevėžio "Ekranas," Edvinas Girdvainis wasn't registered due to a minor injury, Uchenna Umeh is slowly returning to training and strengthening his muscles after surgery, Adama Fofana.
The match started without much excitement, as the teams know each other well enough, as it is already the third game of these teams in the A Lyga championship.
In the first half of the match, both teams lacked accuracy. The first real opportunity for "Ekranas" came in the 18th minute when Arsenij Buinickij's header missed the goal after a pass from Aurimas Vertelis.
The opponents responded with an attack that ended in a corner near the "Ekranas" goal. After this, the ball dangerously passed through the goalkeeper's box, but none of the players from "Kruoja" could finish it.
In the next attack, A. Buinickij entered the penalty area dangerously and tried to pass the ball to a teammate from a sharp angle, but the nearby goalkeeper anticipated the striker's actions.
In the 23rd minute, "Kruoja" defender Valdas Pocevičius headed towards the "Ekranas" goal, but the ball flew over the crossbar.
Later, for a good ten minutes, "Kruoja" successfully disrupted the "Ekranas" game, aiming to earn corners while attacking. The "Ekranas" defenders were reliable, while goalkeeper Emilijus Zubas played confidently.
In the 34th minute, Vitalijus Kavaliauskas shot from outside the penalty area above the goal. After this episode, the head coach of the team Valdas Urbonas substituted Žilvinas Kymantas for Edgaras Baranauskas. As it turned out later, this was a forced substitution because due to a minor injury, the forward could no longer play at full strength.
The first half did not provide anything concrete to the football fans. After the break, Rytis Pilotas replaced V. Kavaliauskas on the field, playing in the right-back position. The player who played in this position in the first half, Vytautas Lukša, started playing as a full-back.
Gradually, "Ekranas" took the initiative and constantly created a game in the "Kruoja" half of the field. The substitutions paid off, and "Kruoja" was forced to focus on defensive actions.
In the 64th minute, Giedrius Tomkevičius was substituted for Tadas Markevičius. The hosts' attacks intensified, and a goal was approaching. In the 75th minute, A. Buinickij took a dangerous shot, but the ball hit a defender. After a corner kick, Aurimas Kučys precisely sent the ball into the goal, leaving no chance for the goalkeeper Marius Eltermanas.
After scoring, the opponents started to attack. Despite some dangerous opportunities near E. Zubas's goal, the "Ekranas" defenders successfully extinguished any small disturbances near their penalty area, with E. Zubas's confident play not allowing the opponents to hope for any free gifts.
After gaining possession of the ball, the "Ekranas" players tried to catch their opponents off guard with lightning-fast attacks. A quick attack in the 88th minute and a powerful shot by V. Lukša from near the penalty area, blocked in time by a defender to save "Kruoja."
A corner kick near the Pakruojo goal, and defender Konstyantyn Matsion touches the ball with his hand. The referee immediately blows the whistle, points to the penalty spot, and the player quickly receives a yellow card. In the 90th minute, A. Buinickij accurately and strongly hits the ball to the right side of the goal, solidifying the victory 2-0.
In the remaining time, the opponents did not have time to make any changes, and the match referee soon declared the end of the match, with "Ekranas" achieving a hard-fought victory of 2-0.
Now there will be a short break in the A Lyga due to the national team's official matches until September 16th. That day, at 15:00, Panevėžio "Ekranas" will face Marijampolės "Sūduva" at home.
