In what has been Valmiera FC’s toughest test of the season so far, Gatis Kalniņš’s squad came out on top in a thrilling 4:3 win over FK Ogre United — one of the top contenders in the Nākotnes līga — during the 3rd round of the Latvian Cup at Jānis Daliņš Stadium.
The hosts showed their intent from the opening whistle, scoring one of the fastest goals ever seen at the stadium — Daniils Cepeļevs put Valmiera in the lead just 30 seconds into the match — 1:0.
What followed was a fast-paced, hard-fought battle, with both teams showing quality in attack and little mercy in one-on-one duels. The high stakes of the Cup were felt in every challenge and pass.
Though the first half didn’t produce more goals, the second half exploded with six goals split between the two teams.
In the 56th minute, a huge mistake by Ogre’s goalkeeper gifted Yusuke Omori the ball on a run toward goal, and the Japanese winger coolly converted — 2:0.
Just six minutes later, it was Valmiera’s turn to falter, and Vadym Mashchenko punished the error — 2:1.
The decisive stretch began in the 77th minute, when a loose clearance from Ogre was intercepted by substitute Niks Savaļnieks, who instantly turned it into a goal — 3:1.
But the comfort didn’t last. In a span of two nightmare minutes, Valmiera’s defense collapsed:
– Regnārs Skujiņš headed in from a corner — 3:2
– Then, right from the restart, Markuss Kalniņš — a former Valmiera youth player and now captain of FK Ogre United — made it 3:3
With the game seemingly headed for extra time, Ritvars Krists Zauska stepped up in the 85th minute. Cutting in from the right flank, he unleashed a powerful left-footed strike from 17 meters out. The ball ricocheted off the post and into the net — a stunning finish to make it 4:3.
Valmiera expertly held their lead in the final minutes, celebrating a hard-earned victory with their loyal home crowd and advancing to the next round of the Latvian Cup, where another tough opponent awaits.
Next up: a return to Altero.lv LIIGA action. On June 8 at 14:00, Valmiera will play away at the Jēkabpils State Gymnasium Stadium, hosted by FK Līvāni.
