Grobiņa beats Liepāja in second Kurzeme derby with Aruna's goal
On Tuesday, in the 18th round of the Tonybet Virslīga, Grobiņa defeated Liepāja 1-0 in the Kurzeme derby. Ali Aruna scored the only goal early in the match.
Aruna's precise strike decides derby
On Tuesday, June 16, in the 18th round of the Tonybet Virslīga, Grobiņa hosted Liepāja and secured a 1-0 (1-0) victory. This was the second Kurzeme derby of the season, with the first encounter ending in a draw.
The only goal of the match came in the 7th minute from Ali Aruna. Receiving the ball near the penalty area, the striker opted for a long-range shot and elegantly curled the ball into the far corner, leaving Liepāja goalkeeper Dāvis Ošs helpless. Liepāja's defense was passive in that episode.
Aruna had a chance to double the lead in the 19th minute when he ran one-on-one against Ošs, but the keeper saved his effort. Although Liepāja enjoyed more ball possession in the first half, Grobiņa threatened on counterattacks.
Midway through the first half, Liepāja's Iļja Korotkovs had a dangerous opportunity, shooting just wide from close range. Just before halftime, Ošs made a mistake, gifting the ball to Grobiņa, but the hosts failed to capitalize.
Early in the second half, Grobiņa continued to press, but in the 72nd minute, substitute Ingars Pūlis missed a great chance, shooting over the net from close range. Liepāja made substitutions and tried to equalize, but couldn't beat Grobiņa goalkeeper Vjačeslavs Kudrjavcevs.
The score remained 1-0, giving Grobiņa their third win of the season. With 16 points, they sit seventh in the league table. Liepāja suffered their third consecutive defeat and remain fourth with 25 points.
The match was refereed by Andris Treimanis. Yellow cards: Grobiņa – Rupeiks, Martins, Matjušenko; Liepāja – Ekū, Vjeira.
