Valmiera FC, led by head coach Gatis Kalniņš, secured their third win of the season with a solid 3:0 triumph over Jelgava’s JFC Viola in Olaine on Easter Monday.
The match began with a storming start from the Valmiera side. In just the 3rd minute, a brilliant through ball from Mārcis Ērglis found Niks Savaļnieks one-on-one with the keeper – and the seasoned forward made no mistake, calmly slotting it home for 1:0. Twelve minutes later, a lightning-quick counterattack ended with the ball being played into space for Rojs Bušs on the left flank. The player from Staicele handled the situation with finesse, firing past the Viola goalkeeper for 2:0.
It looked like the floodgates might open – but not this time. Despite the early dominance, Valmiera struggled with imprecision and unforced errors, preventing them from securing a more convincing lead in the first half. The 2:0 scoreline held until the dying minutes, and a few lucky breaks for Viola could have changed the game’s momentum.
Eventually, in the 87th minute, veteran forward Edgars Gauračs fought hard for the ball in the opponent’s box. While falling, he managed to slip a pass to the unmarked Oskars Stupelis, who didn’t hesitate to blast it into the net – sealing the win at 3:0.
No matter how it looks – a win is a win, and three more points bring Valmiera one step closer to their season’s goal: winning the Second League and earning promotion to the First League.
Up next: Valmiera’s second home game of the season on April 26 at 14:00 at the Valmiera Olympic Centre against FK Aliance.
