© EuroFootball.com
D
At the start of the match, the initiative belonged to the guests who had recovered from injuries during the championship break. In the 10th minute, Mantas Galdikas had to jump to save the team, deflecting a dangerous pass from Leonidas Mušnikovas, after which the ball almost landed in the goal.
Almost half of the half "Atlantas" failed to create any dangerous opportunities, but managed to score a goal. After a corner kick defended by the Šiauliai defenders, the ball bounced to the hosts. Getting a precise pass into the penalty area, Tadas Eliošius excellently controlled the ball with his chest and sent it into the far corner of the goal in the 20th minute of the match.
After taking the lead, the hosts started to control the game. In the 34th minute, T. Eliošius could have scored for the second time, but completely free after Evaldas Razulis' pass from the left flank, he failed to hit the goal with a header.
The "Šiauliai" players made mistakes, and "Atlantas" once again punished them in the 37th minute. Active in his play, Marius Papšys received a pass on the right side, entered the penalty area, and, deceiving two Šiauliai players, fiercely beat E. Jonaitis.
Just before the break, E. Razulis failed to take advantage of a perfect opportunity to score a goal. The striker, who had recovered from a foot injury, was the first to reach the ball deflected by E. Jonaitis after a dangerous shot by Donatas Kazlauskas, but directed it wide, and his follow-up shot hit the defender.
In the second half, the game continued towards the "Šiauliai" goal. Evaldas Razulis headed dangerously towards the goal, but in the final moments, the defenders managed to clear the ball from under the feet of M. Papšys, who had made a great run into the penalty area.
For not scoring a third goal in the 58th minute, the Šiauliai players had to thank goalkeeper Vytautas Gašpuitis, who demonstrated an incredible reaction and twice kicked D. Kazlauskas' shots away from the goal line. However, right after that, the Šiauliai defense left Donatas Navikas unattended, who easily closed a pass from the left flank.
In the 65th minute, the visitors created a chance to soften the result. Rokas Gedminas deceived a defender on the right side of the penalty area, but his strong shot from a sharp angle was deflected by M. Galdikas.
After six minutes, "Atlantas" executed a very beautiful attack. During it, after several passes, Andrius Urbšys, who had just appeared on the field, jumped free in front of the goalkeeper in one touch, but his shot was blocked courageously by the falling E. Jonaitis on the ground, and D. Kazlauskas' follow-up shot hit the outside of the goalpost.
In the 73rd minute, the ball once again hit the Šiauliai goal frame when E. Razulis shook the goalpost with a header after a corner kick.
Klaipėda's "Atlantas" - Šiauliai's "Šiauliai" 3:0 (2:0).
"Atlantas": M. Galdikas, A. Jokšas, M. Beneta, M. Kazlauskas, K. Gnedojus, D. Navikas (70 min. A. Bartkus), G. Žukauskas, D. Kazlauskas (83 min. D. Virkšas), T. Eliošius (69 min. A. Urbšys), M. Papšys, E. Razulis.
"Šiauliai": E. Jonaitis, M. Fridrikas, F. Zderičius, R. Gedminas, T. Eliošius, K. Gusočenko (67 min. M. Vorobjovas), V. Gašpuitis, A. Vaskela, L. Mušnikovas (61 min. J. Raziūnas), N. Tokičius, D. Veraja (46 min. T. Birškys).
Goals: T. Eliošius (20), M. Papšys (37), D. Navikas (59).
Yellow cards: M. Kazlauskas (54); K. Gusočenko (27).
Referees: J. Paškovskis, A. Radiušas, L. Aržuolaitis.
"SMScredit.lt A League" tournament table (place, team, matches, wins, draws, losses, goals, points):
1. Vilnius MFD "Žalgiris" 18 15 2 1 52:8 47 2. Klaipėda's "Atlantas" 19 13 2 4 35:16 41 3. Panevėžys' "Ekranas" 18 12 2 4 38:21 38 4. Pakruojis "Kruoja" 19 8 5 6 27:27 29 5. Marijampolė's "Sūduva" 18 8 4 6 32:22 28 6. Gargždai "Banga" 19 7 2 10 29:35 23 7. Šiauliai's "Šiauliai" 20 4 5 11 24:40 17 8. Alytus "Dainava" 19 3 3 13 19:46 12 9. Tauragė's "Tauras" 18 1 1 16 12:53 4
Top scorers of the championship: K. Bilinskis ("Žalgiris") and N. Valskis ("Sūduva") - 13 goals, E. Razulis ("Atlantas") - 11, G. Alaverdashvili ("Šiauliai") and A. Staponka ("Banga") - 9 each.
