Saturday afternoon at Jānis Daliņš Stadium provided fans with an emotional rollercoaster that ended in triumph. Valmiera FC, playing with ten men for half the match, showed their skill and resolve to secure a hard-fought 3-2 victory over FS Jelgava.
Right from the start, it was clear this wouldn’t be an easy game for Gatis Kalniņš’s team against Tonybet Virslīga’s bottom-ranked side. In the 12th minute, after a well-executed attack and a long-range shot from Rihards Bečers, the visitors took the lead.
This surprising start shaped the flow of the game, with Valmiera struggling to finish their attacks, while Jelgava, having gained the lead, focused on a physical and combative style, challenging their opponents in every duel. For Jelgava, this match was crucial in their fight to remain in the league.
The situation grew even bleaker for Valmiera at the start of the second half. In the 47th minute, the referee sent off Valmiera’s defender, Ralfs Kragliks, for an alleged “last-man” foul. However, after making two substitutions, bringing on Roberts Veips and Lūkass Vapne, Valmiera’s offense improved noticeably despite being a man down.
The equalizer came unexpectedly in the 63rd minute. Former Valmiera goalkeeper Vjačeslavs Kudrjavcevs passed the ball straight to Alioune Ndoye, who seized the gift and quickly put it in the net – 1-1.
And then, the real action began. Just seven minutes later, after a superb combination between Ndoye, Jérémie Porsan-Clemente, and Renārs Varslavāns, Valmiera took the lead as Varslavāns scored – 2-1.
Jelgava didn’t back down, and three minutes later, Agris Glaudāns restored parity with an unmarked header in front of Dāvis Ošs’s goal – 2-2.
Yet, it was the home side that would have the final say. In the 77th minute, following a prolonged offensive effort, Kristers Penkevics rolled the ball into the net, effectively sealing the game and symbolically becoming Jelgava’s nemesis – with this loss, Jelgava was relegated to the 1st League. However, promotion and relegation dynamics could still shift for next season.
Two matchdays remain in this Virslīga season. Next up, Valmiera will travel to Daugavpils, with the game kicking off at 1:00 PM on November 3rd at Esplanāde.
