The 2026 season of the Latvian LVBET league, which is the country’s second tier, came to an end on Saturday. Valmiera FC locked down second place and earned an opportunity to make a return to the Virslīga by taking down Skanste with a score of 3-2 at their home ground. At the same time, Riga Mariners secured the third-place position for the second year in a row after defeating their direct opponents Leevon/PPK 2-1. Additionally, the champions FK Metta, who had already been crowned, wrapped up their season schedule with a decisive victory against Mārupe.
Metta had previously locked up the championship title and earned automatic promotion to the Virslīga during the preceding weekend. This meant that the remaining fights for the second and third positions served as the primary focal points of the final round of matches.
As the teams approached these decisive games, Valmiera maintained a slim one-point lead over the Riga Mariners. Meanwhile, the Mariners themselves sat only two points ahead of Leevon/PPK, who occupied the fourth position in the league table.
Valmiera went into their concluding match against Skanste fully aware that a win would definitively secure them second place. This position came with a guaranteed spot in the upcoming promotion and relegation play-offs against FK Tukums 2000, a club competing in the Virslīga.
The home team got off to a very strong start in the contest, opening the scoring in the tenth minute courtesy of a goal by Mahamadou Dembele. Skanste managed to find an equalizer in the 37th minute when Deivids Baltrušaitis, a Latvia U17 international player, found the back of the net.
Valmiera required less than a minute of match time to get their lead back. Dembele struck for his second goal of the afternoon, bringing the scoreline to 2-1 before the teams headed into the half-time interval.
As the second half reached its midway point, Steimaks increased Valmiera’s advantage to 3-1, placing the hosts in a very secure position. Skanste narrowed the gap just three minutes later, however, creating a nervous conclusion to the fixture.
Ultimately, Valmiera managed to defend their slim lead successfully, sealing a 3-2 win that cemented their second-place finish in the league table. They are now scheduled to compete against Tukums 2000, the side finishing ninth in the Virslīga, across a two-legged series with a spot in Latvia’s top division for 2027 on the line.
In the other action, Riga Mariners played host to Leevon/PPK in a head-to-head clash for third place, with both sides eager to finish the year on the podium.
Following a scoreless opening half, the hosts seized control in the middle portion of the second period. They netted two goals inside a span of ten minutes to build a 2-0 cushion.
Leevon/PPK succeeded in scoring one goal in response, but Riga Mariners successfully ran out the clock to claim a 2-1 triumph. This result locked up third place for them for the second consecutive year, while the loss meant Leevon/PPK finished the campaign in fourth place.
At the other end of the standings, Rēzekne, a long-serving participant in the First League, suffered relegation down to the third tier. Alongside them, JFK Ventspils was confirmed as the second team to face automatic relegation following the conclusion of the day’s matches.
SOURCE NAME: balticfootballnews.com
Source: balticfootballnews.com
