Fresh off their Cup triumph, Paņevežys continues the winning way

Just days after lifting the long-awaited Lithuanian Cup trophy, FK Panevėžys, led by head coach Roland Vrabec, showed no signs of slowing down as they secured a 3-1 home victory against bottom side DFK Dainava Alytus.

Panevėžys made five changes compared to the Cup final lineup, with hero Ariagner Smith – the scorer of the decisive goal in the final – starting from the bench to get some well-deserved rest. Meanwhile, Dainava, managed by Orazov, were still chasing their first win of the season against Panevėžys and hoping to climb off the bottom of the table with a much-needed result.

The visitors started brightly, with Brazilian forward Lucas Moura – playing only his third match for Dainava – looking lively up front. But it was the hosts who struck first. After Ivan Koshkosh handled the ball inside the penalty area, the referee pointed to the spot. Former Barcelona academy product Lucas De Vega calmly converted the penalty, scoring his seventh goal of the season to put Panevėžys ahead.

Despite falling behind, Dainava continued to push forward, Moura again being the focal point of their attacks. However, the first half ended with Panevėžys holding onto a slim 1-0 lead and 45 minutes left to potentially sweep the season series against their opponents.

Early in the second half, Panevėžys had a golden opportunity to double their lead. Following a corner kick, Seydina Keita’s header was saved, and the rebound fell perfectly for Abdoul Dante, who, from just over a meter out, somehow failed to direct his header into the empty net. Fortunately for Panevėžys, that miss proved irrelevant just moments later. A lightning-quick transition saw Ernestas Veliulis curl a beautiful strike into the far corner to make it 2-0.

Dainava managed to claw their way back into the match in the latter stages of the second half. After a set-piece delivery, Ukrainian defender Maksym Maksymenko unleashed a shot from the edge of the box that rattled off the crossbar and into the net, cutting the deficit to 2-1.

The visitors pressed for an equalizer late on, but their efforts came up short. Instead, it was Panevėžys who sealed the result. Substitute Kwadwo Asamoah set up Nicaraguan striker Ariagner Smith, who clinically restored the two-goal cushion, scoring the insurance goal for a 3-1 final.

With this win, FK Panevėžys climbed level on points with sixth-placed FC Džiugas Telšiai, both sitting on 41 points. Dainava, meanwhile, remain bottom with 16 points, just one behind ninth-placed Riteriai.

Next up, FK Panevėžys will visit FA Šiauliai in four days’ time, while DFK Dainava face a daunting test in three days when they host league leaders FK Kauno Žalgiris.

FK Paņevežys vs DFK Dainava Alytus – 3:1 (1:0)
Goals: De Vega 27′ (Penalty Kick), Veliulis 55′, Smith 85′ | Maksymenko 80′

A Lyga Matchday 34:

• 26.09.2025 – FK Banga Gargždai vs FC Džiugas Telšiai – 0:1
• 27.09.2025 – FA Šiauliai vs FK Riteriai – 2:1
• 29.09.2025 – FK Sūduva vs FK Žalgiris – 1:3
• 01.10.2025 – FC Hegelmann vs FK Kauno Žalgiris – 1:1
• 01.10.2025 – FK Paņevežys vs DFK Dainava Alytus – 3:1