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Panevėžio "Ekranas" from Ireland flew out without conceding a goal, but also without standing out. The battle will continue in Lithuania. During the post-match press conference, the head coach of "Ekranas", Valdas Urbonas, noted that this was just one part of the fight.
Head coach of FK "Ekranas" Valdas Urbonas: "The tension doesn't disappear quickly after such matches. I think it was a tough, tenacious, beautiful match. It is important to understand that these were just the first matches, just one part of this fight.
The fact that the referee allowed the players to fight did not surprise me. The referee was from Finland, and this country sympathizes with such a style of play. I think the referee did great with his job, there were enough battles, normal football prevailed.
Naturally, as the match approached the end, the "home" team sought more to win, the pressure increased on us, danger arose from set pieces and throw-ins towards our goal line. I am glad that we managed to defend against that.
The players who were on the field successfully performed the tasks we set for them. In the last 10 minutes, it was clear that the team felt fatigue, but I didn't see a player on the bench who would significantly strengthen us.
Until the return match, we will analyze this game, see where we can play stronger. Our goal is to advance to the next stage, we will need a victory at home.
I think our team is experienced, especially in international matches. Sometimes there is a lack of tension in the Lithuanian championship, when we face it, we accept it. In some moments, the team can play much better. Next week, we will spend analyzing this match and preparing for the return game," - said "Ekranas" head coach Valdas Urbonas after the match.
