Tonybet Virslīga round 20 ended with FK Grobiņa earning a valuable point after holding third-placed FK Auda to a 0-0 draw, despite debutant Milan Corryn seeing what would have been a dream debut goal ruled out by VAR.
Grobiņa head coach Oskars Kļava handed all three of the club’s new arrivals immediate starts following the opening of the Latvian summer transfer window. Former Latvia international goalkeeper Roberts Ozols returned to the Virslīga after his spell in Albania, FK Liepāja all-time goalscorer Dodo made his first appearance for the club, while Belgian midfielder Milan Corryn, who featured in the Eredivisie just two years ago, also made his debut.
Auda, meanwhile, were still able to call upon Panamanian sensation Josue Vergara. The 18-year-old had been expected to play his final Virslīga match against SK Super Nova before completing his €3 million move to Belgian side Gent, but remained available for one more fixture.
Grobiņa threatened early on, although the move was halted by an offside flag. After that, Auda took control of possession and forced Roberts Ozols into several important interventions during the opening stages.
The hosts thought they had taken the lead midway through the first half. Following an attempted through ball towards Artem Kholod, Auda goalkeeper Nils Toms Puriņš rushed from his goal and managed to reach the ball first, but his clearance only travelled as far as Corryn. Spotting the goalkeeper well off his line, the Belgian calmly sent a long-range effort into the empty net. However, after a lengthy VAR review, the goal was disallowed as Kholod had been in an offside position when the original pass was played. Although Auda enjoyed the majority of possession and registered more attempts before the break, they struggled to create clear-cut opportunities.
The visitors came much closer after half-time, with Vergara producing their best chance of the evening. A long ball from inside Auda’s own half caught Dāvis Družiņins out of position after he failed to make contact with a header, sending the Panamanian clean through on goal. Ozols, however, produced an outstanding one-on-one save to deny the league’s second-highest scorer his 15th goal of the campaign.
As the second half progressed, Auda increased the pressure. Eduards Dašķevičs, Tin Hrvoj, Kader Koné and Andrews Appiah all created promising opportunities, but none were able to find the breakthrough as Grobiņa’s defence continued to stand firm.
The hosts almost snatched all three points right at the death. A quick counter-attack saw Artjoms Puzirevskis release José Ribeiro, whose powerful effort crashed against the post, denying Grobiņa a dramatic late winner.
The final whistle confirmed the first draw between the two sides this season, with both teams settling for a point.
Auda remain third in the Tonybet Virslīga standings with 39 points from 20 matches, while Grobiņa move level on points with eighth-placed FK Tukums 2000.
Grobiņa return to action next Monday with an away trip to FS Jelgava, while Auda host reigning champions Riga FC on the same day.
FK Grobiņa vs FK Auda – 0-0 (0-0)
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Riga FC |
20 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 60 | 19 | 41 | 49 |
| 2 |  RFS |
19 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 48 | 14 | 34 | 49 |
| 3 |  FK Auda |
20 | 12 | 3 | 5 | 36 | 23 | 13 | 39 |
| 4 |  FK Liepāja |
19 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 23 | 29 | -6 | 25 |
| 5 |  BFC Daugavpils |
20 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 21 | 25 | -4 | 24 |
| 6 |  FS Jelgava |
20 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 20 | 35 | -15 | 22 |
| 7 |  Super Nova |
20 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 20 | 30 | -10 | 21 |
| 8 |  FK Tukums 2000 |
19 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 33 | 36 | -3 | 17 |
| 9 |  Grobiņa |
20 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 30 | -18 | 17 |
| 10 |  Ogre United |
19 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 16 | 48 | -32 | 7 |
