Lithuania round-up: Kaunas hold Ekranas
Sunday, June 15, 2003
Article summary
The leading two teams in the first division showed how tight it is at the top with a 2-2 draw.
Article body
Coach content
Leaders FK Ekranas travelled to second-placed FBK Kaunas defending a four-point lead and left with that advantage intact after a 2-2 draw. Despite twice throwing away a lead, Kaunas were satisfied with the point, especially as it was the first game in charge for new Belarussian coach Sergei Borovski. "I am still getting familiar with the team," he said. "We will change the way we play in defence. Reforms in our game are necessary."
Six for Kavaliauskas
Kaunas first took the lead in the 27th minute through defender Darius Gvildys but Mantas Savenas equalised six minutes later. Striker Martynas Karalius restored the home side's advantage on 52 minutes but opposing forward Vitalijus Kavaliauskas restored parity eight minutes from the final whistle. It was Lithuanian Under-21 international Kavaliauskas’s sixth goal of the season.
Vencevicius off
Elswehere, FK Atlantas made up some ground in third place with a comfortable 2-0 win against FK Sviesa, thanks to goals from Mindaugas Cepas and Ricardas Beniusis on 31 and 39 minutes respectively. Sviesa had faced a difficult task once their midfield player Donatas Vencevicius was sent off midway through the first half.
Missed penalty
FK Vetra are in fourth after a 1-1 draw with FK Zalgiris Vilnius. Zalgiris's forward Dainius Saulenas broke the deadlock on 25 minutes but Rolandas Vaineikis levelled the game six minutes later. Zalgiris could still have won the match but Mindaugas Grigalevicius missed a penalty with a quarter of an hour to play. It was the fifth straight match without a win for Zalgiris, who will represent Lithuania in the UEFA Intertoto Cup.
Suduva on the up
Finally, the country's bottom club SFK Sakalas remain bottom after a 4-2 defeat by FK Suduva, who moved up to fifth. Siaulius Lesnickas broke the deadlock for Sakalas but Suduva responded with two goals apiece for forwards Andrius Brazauskas and Tomas Radzinevicius. Robertas Silajevas scored a second goal for Sakalas late on. After a dismal start to the season, Suduva have now taken nine points from their last five games.
