Silla's debut goal puts RFS back on top of the Virslīga table
RFS secured a 1-0 away win against FS Jelgava, with new signing Mamadou Silla scoring his first goal for the club, reclaiming the league lead.
In the 23rd round of the Latvian Virslīga, RFS edged out FS Jelgava 1-0 on Saturday, July 20, returning to the top of the standings. The decisive goal came in the 39th minute from 20-year-old striker Mamadou Silla, who netted his first for RFS after arriving as a new signing.
RFS dominated possession from the start, creating several chances. In the eighth minute, Silla headed the ball towards goal, but Jelgava goalkeeper Adam Dvoržák made the save. The hosts responded with a few attempts; in the 17th minute, Filip Hašek's shot from close range went wide. RFS broke the deadlock when Laša Odišarija crossed from the left flank. While Jelgava defenders anticipated a header from Darko Lemajič, unmarked Silla slotted the ball home.
Jelgava nearly equalized late in the first half after a long-range effort from Gļebs Žaleiko hit the crossbar. Early in the second half, Jegors Novikovs shot just wide of the goal. RFS held on, though they had 70% possession and 0.8 xG compared to Jelgava's 0.27 xG in the first half. The match ended with RFS's clean-sheet victory.
This was Jelgava's fourth consecutive loss to RFS, and they have now failed to score in four straight meetings. If SK Super Nova beat Grobiņa, Jelgava will drop to seventh place. RFS now have 59 points from 23 matches, one point ahead of Riga FC, and sit at the summit of the Virslīga table.
Match details: Venue – Zemgales OC (Jelgava). Referee – Artis Ķēniņš. Yellow cards: F. Hašek, Semeško (Jelgava), Saidī (RFS).
