Tonybet Virslīga Matchday 14 saw SK Super Nova continue their rise in form on Wednesday evening, defeating FK Grobiņa 2-0 away in Liepāja to secure a second consecutive league victory and climb into fourth place in the standings.
For Oskars Kļava’s Grobiņa side, the search for a first win since March 21 goes on, with the club now winless in 11 consecutive league matches.
The hosts almost produced another dream start after scoring inside the opening minute against Tukums in the previous round. This time it took only five minutes for danger to arrive, as Artem Kholod found space inside the penalty area and struck the outside of the post. It was an early warning sign for Super Nova, who struggled to create clear openings during much of the first half.
Most of the visitors’ danger initially came from set pieces. One of the better opportunities fell to Jegors Cīrulis, whose acrobatic effort forced Vjačeslavs Kudrjavcevs into action. Despite both teams showing flashes going forward, the opening 45 minutes lacked major chances and intensity.
The game completely shifted after halftime. Just three minutes into the second half, Super Nova were handed one of the most unusual penalties of the Virslīga season so far. Kudrjavcevs attempted to play the ball out from the back but struck an opposing player with his clearance. As the loose ball remained alive, the goalkeeper desperately tried to clear it again but instead kicked Valerijs Lizunovs in the legs inside the penalty area. The referee immediately pointed to the spot.
Lizunovs stepped up himself and calmly converted the penalty to give Super Nova a 1-0 lead.
Grobiņa nearly responded instantly. Following a strong run down the right flank from Jose Ribeiro, Artjoms Puzirevskis found himself in a dangerous position but failed to hit the target. It proved to be a costly miss as the home side continued to chase an equaliser without success.
Super Nova goalkeeper Dāvis Viljams Veisbuks then became increasingly important. First he denied Deivids Dobrecovs from distance before reacting quickly once more to stop Oļģerds Raščevskis from converting the rebound, preserving the visitors’ narrow advantage.
The decisive second goal arrived in bizarre fashion in the 82nd minute. Lizunovs drove into the penalty area and went down under pressure, but no foul was awarded. Expecting a whistle, Grobiņa’s defenders momentarily stopped playing as the ball rolled loose centrally. Substitute Alens Grikovs reacted quickest, taking advantage of the hesitation to fire home the second goal and score the first Virslīga goal of his young career.
From there, Super Nova comfortably saw out the remainder of the match and completed a clean-sheet victory that continues their impressive turnaround in form.
The result lifts Maksims Rafaļskis’ side into fourth place in the Virslīga standings, while Grobiņa remain ninth with just 12 points after another frustrating evening.
FK Grobiņa vs SK Super Nova – 0-2 (0-0)
Goals: Lizunovs 51′ (Penalty kick), Grikovs 82′
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  RFS |
13 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 9 | 20 | 34 |
| 2 |  Riga FC |
14 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 45 | 17 | 28 | 33 |
| 3 |  FK Auda |
13 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 26 | 19 | 7 | 25 |
| 4 |  Super Nova |
14 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 17 | 18 | -1 | 20 |
| 5 |  FK Liepāja |
13 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 16 | 19 | -3 | 18 |
| 6 |  BFC Daugavpils |
13 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 15 | 21 | -6 | 14 |
| 7 |  FK Tukums 2000 |
14 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 28 | 24 | 4 | 13 |
| 8 |  FS Jelgava |
13 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 24 | -14 | 13 |
| 9 |  Grobiņa |
14 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 23 | -14 | 12 |
| 10 |  Ogre United |
13 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 32 | -21 | 3 |
