With one game left in the Tonybet Futbola Virslīga season, Valmiera FC faced off against Daugavpils in a high-stakes clash at Esplanade Stadium, ending in a thrilling 3-3 draw.
In their last away match, Valmiera’s head coach had to navigate the absence of three key players—Ralfs Kragliks, Kristers Penkevics, and Maksims Toņiševs. Maksims, however, joined his team on the journey to support them through this challenging matchup in the city where he once played for two seasons.
Valmiera got off to a strong start, creating several chances and capitalizing on one in the 9th minute. Kristers Aļekseičiks converted a rebound from a Lucas Vapne corner to make it 1-0. Valmiera continued to dominate possession, with Daugavpils answering only with occasional counterattacks. In one such play, 22 minutes in, Mohamed Kone broke free and beat Dāvis Ošs one-on-one to equalize.
The second half continued in a similar vein. In the 54th minute, Valmiera executed a brilliant short-passing attack, finished by Emīls Birka, who struck from a tight angle past Orols to regain the lead at 2-1. Just three minutes later, Daugavpils responded with a set-piece, with Aleksejs Kudeļkins heading in to level the score again at 2-2.
With Daugavpils having come from behind twice, they pressed on and, in the 65th minute, took the lead. Armans Galajs found the back of the net after a defensive lapse from Valmiera, making it 3-2.
However, Valmiera’s persistence paid off once again. In the 74th minute, Vapne delivered a free-kick from the left, where star striker Alioune Ndoye rose to head it home, securing the 3-3 equalizer.
Both teams fought for a win in the closing minutes, but the match ended with a shared point.
Valmiera’s final match of the season will be played at Jānis Daliņš Stadium on November 9th at 1:00 PM, as they host the team from Tukums.
