Latvia round-up: Metalurgs upset Skonto rhythm

FC Skonto's bid to secure a 13th consecutive Virsliga title suffered a blow at the weekend as FHK Liepajas Metalurgs beat the current leaders 2-0 in Liepaja.

Thoroughly deserved
Metalurgs, sitting in third place in the standings, outplayed their rivals and thoroughly deserved the victory. After a goalless first half that saw Metalurgs's Kristaps Grebis and Viktors Dobrecovs squander excellent chances, Edijs Danilovs beat Skonto keeper Andrejs Piedels on the hour mark.

One point adrift
Man of the match Dobrecovs then sealed the three points with a penalty three minutes from full time. The victory means that Metalurgs now have 19 points from their eight matches, one point adrift of Skonto.

Comfortable victory
FK Ventspils, last season's runners-up, moved second, level on points with Skonto, following a comfortable 4-0 victory over FK Riga. Slovakian forward Bronislav Jashurek scored twice, while Maris Smirnovs and Andrej Butriks were also on target.

Kriklivi on target
Elsewhere, FC Dinaburg beat RKB-Arma Riga 1-0 thanks to a goal from Ukrainian Oleksandr Kriklivi, and FK Gauja recorded an important 2-0 away win over FK Auda Riga with second-half goals from Eduards Kudrjashovs and Arturs Bogdanovs doing the damage.