FA Šiauliai II — Minija: 1:2, 1 Lyga

Minija hold on for late victory

Minija secured a narrow 2-1 win away at FAŠiulaj II in the 1 Liga Regular Season on Thursday evening. The visitors, sitting top of the table, survived a late scare after K. Aderounmu pulled one back for the hosts in the 61st minute. And here's the thing — by then the game was already slipping away from FAŠiulaj II, not that they realised it.

M. Traore gave Minija the lead in the 71st minute, and A. Valuckas sealed it nine minutes later. The hosts had worked a short corner and pushed men forward, but FAŠiulaj II's defence switched off at a set piece for the opener. To be fair, they kept their side in it until the final quarter, which says something about their spirit.

Minija dominated possession at 62 per cent and registered nine shots on target compared to five for the hosts. They also had more attacks — 41 to 35 — and nearly double the corners with nine. The statistics tell you the story: many shots with two goals means chances went begging, but Minija didn't need more than they got.

The result leaves Minija 22 points clear at the summit after 21 games, while FAŠiulaj II remain rooted to 15th with just 22 points from 22 matches. The hosts will be disappointed to drop points after winning 1-0 against Jonava last week, but they'd have needed something special to overturn this.

Minija's form has been relentless — five straight wins before this trip, including a 5-0 demolition of Ekranas Panevezys. FAŠiulaj II's recent run includes three defeats in their last four, and losing a lead at home does not help. By then, the table gap only widened further.