Panevėžys made their return to Lithuanian Toplyga competition following the international break by claiming a dramatic 2-1 victory at home against Banga Gargždai during the 33rd round of the season. After the hosts fell behind just before the half-time interval, they mounted a successful fightback through Strahinja Kerkez before Parfait Bizoza took advantage of defensive errors in the third minute of stoppage time to clinch all three points.
The first half of the match was characterised as a scrappy contest, with both sides experiencing difficulties establishing a steady attacking rhythm while repeatedly giving up possession as a result of misplaced passes and technical mistakes.
Opportunities of a clear-cut nature were scarce during this period. Bizoza attempted a shot that tested Banga goalkeeper Volodymyr Krynskyi, though the shot-stopper comfortably gathered the effort. Meanwhile, at the other end of the pitch, Panevėžys goalkeeper Vytautas Černiauskas handled several shots taken from distance.
Despite the overall shortage of attacking quality, Banga succeeded in breaking the scoreless tie in the 44th minute. A long-range pass freed Aaron Appiah, who successfully fended off opposing defenders and delivered a precise shot from inside the penalty area. This marked the very first goal scored by Banga against Panevėžys over the course of the current season, sending the visitors into the half-time break with a 1-0 lead.
Following the restart, Panevėžys returned to the pitch showing significantly greater attacking purpose, ramping up the pressure on the defensive line of Banga as they hunted for an equalising goal.
Their elevated level of play paid off in the 58th minute. A delivery from a set-piece resulted in chaos inside the penalty area of the visiting team, and Kerkez capitalized on the ensuing scramble by putting the ball in the back of the net to level the score.
The home side very nearly completed their reversal of the scoreline shortly after when Matas Ramanauskas arrived in a prime scoring position. Nevertheless, Krynskyi came up with a crucial stop to stop Panevėžys from seizing the lead.
With the match tied, both clubs pressed forward in search of a winner, although Banga generated the superior chances as the game neared its conclusion. Černiauskas was forced to pull off two brilliant saves in rapid succession, preserving the match for Panevėžys at a time when the visitors looked dangerous and threatened to take the lead once again.
Appiah, who had netted the opening goal of the game during the first half, likewise had a chance to put Banga back in front but failed to finish, leaving the final result in doubt as the match entered stoppage time.
Those squandered opportunities eventually proved to be expensive. During the third minute of added time, defensive blunders by Banga handed Bizoza a chance, and the Panevėžys midfielder executed the finish perfectly, netting the decisive goal to finalise the comeback of the home side in the second half. This represented the first goal of the season for the 27-year-old Burundi national team player.
This triumph represented the fourth victory for Panevėžys across their previous five fixtures, extending a strong run of form as the club moves upward toward the middle of the table. With four matches left to play, Panevėžys currently occupy seventh place in the Toplyga table holding 35 points, standing only six points behind fifth-place Banga.
SOURCE NAME: balticfootballnews.com
Source: balticfootballnews.com
