Lithuania round-up: Sviesa claim A Lyga place

FK Sviesa Vilnius have won a place in the 2003 Lithuanian A Lyga, after beating KASK FK Gelezinis Vilkas in the promotion/relegation play-off on away goals.

Long-range goal
Visitors Sviesa won the first leg 1-0 at home in midweek, and although they lost the return 2-1 on Sunday, Giedrius Zutautas's goal from long range proved decisive.

Sending-off ends hopes
Saulius Laibinis equalised on the day for Gelezinis Vilkas just a minute later, but although Nerijus Sasnauskas then scored a header to put the hosts in front, they had striker Viktoras Kalabucovas sent off 12 minutes from full time to end their bid to stay in the A Lyga, after finishing eighth this season.

Young team
Sviesa, who join fellow new-boys FK Vetra in the top division next season, achieved promotion with a team mainly under the age of 20, under Lithuanian Under-21 head coach Algimantas Liubinskas.

Ambitious plans
Liubinskas, who won Lithuanian title in 1997 with FK Kared, said of his immediate plans: "We will strengthen the squad. We do not want to be on the fringes in the top division, and I am not intending to lead a team which will live at the bottom of the table."