Panevėžys beat Žalgiris Vilnius 2:0 in the A-Liga's 29th round on August 30th. The hosts had never won at home against their neighbours this season, and here's the thing — the match opened with an own goal at the twenty-first minute. D. Sesplaukis bundled the ball into his net from close range, and Panevėžys never looked back.
S. Kouadio doubled the lead just before the break with a forty-fourth-minute strike. To be fair, the away side had chances to respond, but Kouadio's form suggested otherwise until the referee showed him a red card at the fifty-sixth minute. He picked up a second yellow after a challenge on S. Kerkez, and Panevėžys were left with ten men for the final thirty minutes.
S. Bilenkyi missed a penalty at the sixtieth minute, sending his shot wide after a handball decision. The hosts made changes too — M. van den Bos and K. Asamoah came on at the sixty-seventh minute, followed by P. Golubickas and Sesplaukis himself at the seventy-fourth. By then the game was effectively over.
Žalgiris controlled possession at 59 per cent and created more attacks — 237 compared to 186. They won 15 corners to 3, and had 20 free kicks against 11. But both sides registered five shots on target, and the away side wasted six shots off target. The statistics tell you everything and nothing about who deserved the points.
Panevėžys move up to seventh place with 26 points from 25 games, while Žalgiris stay fifth with 37 from 24 matches. The home side had lost their last two league games before this, dropping points against Suduva and Šiauliai. That run ended now, though not in the style they would have preferred.