Valmiera FC marked their return to Jānis Daliņš Stadium on Sunday afternoon with a commanding 4:1 win over FK Union/JFK Daugava.
In what was their first match of the season on natural grass, Gatis Kalniņš’s side looked lively and eager right from the start. It quickly became clear that this Altero.lv LIIGA opponent wouldn’t pose too much of a challenge. Still, the first goal didn’t come until the middle of the first half.
In the 26th minute, Aleks Tkačenko battled well for the ball deep in the opponent’s box and set up Oskars Stupelis, who made it 1:0. Right before halftime, Oskars struck again — breaking away from his marker and sending in a low shot that deflected into the net — 2:0.
After the break, Niks Savaļnieks replaced Stupelis, and his introduction gave fresh momentum to Valmiera’s attack. Despite creating several good chances, fans at the stadium by the Gauja River had to wait until the 66th minute to see the next goal. After a corner kick and some chaos in the box, the ball fell kindly to Ernests Kalniņš, who blasted it in via another deflection — 3:0.
With Edgars Gauračs entering the match, the pressure on Daugava’s defense increased even more. Though the experienced striker couldn’t find the net himself despite some quality chances, Savaļnieks stepped up once again. In the 75th minute, he received the ball inside the penalty area and calmly slotted it in with his left foot — 4:0.
The only blemish on an otherwise joyful day came late in the game, when a defensive lapse allowed Viktors Ņesterenko’s side to score a consolation goal — 4:1.
In the standings, Valmiera FC and FS Jelgava-2 have pulled ahead of the pack, separated by just a single point (16 to 15), while the next three teams trail behind with only 8 points each.
Next up: Valmiera faces their toughest challenge of the season so far — a Latvian Cup clash against FK Ogre United, a side from the 1st tier Nākotnes League. The match kicks off at 14:00 on Saturday, May 31, once again at Jānis Daliņš Stadium in front of the home crowd.
