Suduva Marijampole beat Panevezys 2:0 in the A-Liga regular season, stage 28, on Saturday. Two second-half goals from F. Tangiri and M. Chajia sealed the win for the hosts, who now sit four points clear at the top.
Tangiri struck in the 58th minute, finishing off a move that had been building since the break. Panevezys had pushed higher after the interval, but the visitors left space at the back. By then, Suduva were camped in the final third and took their chance.
Chajia doubled the lead in the 81st minute, and the game was effectively over. Panevezys made three changes around the 64th minute, bringing on Rasimavicius, Bacanin and Petkevicius, then added Seck and Steponavicius five minutes later. Tangiri himself came off in the 75th. The visitors were reduced to ten men in spirit if not in numbers.
Suduva dominated possession at 64 per cent, and the shots told the same story. Six shots on target against three, with both sides missing as many off target. The hosts registered 87 attacks to Panevezys's 76, though possession was the real difference. The visitors were kept quiet after Tangiri's opener.
Suduva are now five wins from five, having beaten Jagiellonia, Banga, Hegelmann and Panevezys twice this season. Panevezys slip further back in the table, seven points behind sixth place after 25 games. The gap has widened, and the line has barely moved for the visitors.