The second round of Lithuanian Women's A League fixtures began on Saturday, bringing the season's second Šiauliai derby.
At Gytariai Stadium, Lithuanian champions Gintra deservedly won 2:0 (1–0 at half-time) against FA Šiauliai. Their sixth victory keeps them alone at the top of the table.
Gintra had won the first meeting 3–0.
Starting lineup: A. Herasymchuk, T. Romanovskaja, G. Knutzen (56' min. A. Kazarina), L. Kubiliūtė, S. Amorim, M. Galkina (56' min. J. Dias), A. Mikutaitė, L. Ribeiro (71' min. U. Grincevičiūtė), T. Brown (46' min. K. Johnson), K. Pereviznyk, J. Blaževičiūtė (71' min. M. Zulu).
Gintra: K. Pereviznyk (28' min.), J. Blaževičiūtė (51' min.) one each.
A physical contest developed from referee Rasa Grigonė's opening whistle at Gytariai Stadium. Gintra immediately took possession and the initiative, creating chances, but a packed defence made life difficult around the penalty area.
The opening goal took 28 minutes to arrive, when the champions' leading scorer Kristina Pereviznyk finished Lidiane Ribeiro's excellent pass for 1–0.
Neither team scored again before the break, but Gintra, the nominal visitors, doubled their advantage immediately afterwards. Marija Galkina won the first ball at a corner, and her touch set up Justina Blaževičiūtė to head in for 2–0.
Heavy rain reduced the quality of play midway through the second half. The opponents defended successfully against the champions' attacks, and despite their early second-half goal, Gintra could not convert further chances. The final whistle confirmed a 2–0 win for the league leaders.
Coach's comments:
Match highlights: