Yakubu punishes Dvorak error as Daugavpils get their fourth straight win

BFC Daugavpils made it four wins in a row in the opening match of Tonybet Virslīga Matchday 7, narrowly defeating FS Jelgava 1-0 after capitalising on a costly mistake by goalkeeper Adam Dvorak.

The hosts started the game on the front foot, creating the better chances early on. Their best opportunity came in the 18th minute, when Czech goalkeeper Dvorak produced an excellent save to deny Joel Yakubu from close range.

Daugavpils continued to threaten, and defender Papa Gningue came close to scoring his first goal in Latvia following a set piece. Jelgava, meanwhile, struggled to create chances, with their best moment arriving in the 36th minute when Filip Hašek failed to hit the target from a promising position, reacting in frustration after the miss.

The decisive moment came in the opening minutes of the second half, when Daugavpils finally broke the deadlock. After a cross from Rostand Ndjiki, Dvorak failed to collect a routine ball, allowing it to slip through his hands. Yakubu reacted quickest in front of goal, with the Nigerian winger scoring for the second consecutive match to punish Jelgava’s mistake.

Daugavpils had a chance to double their lead later in the game, but Dvorak redeemed himself with a solid save to deny Abdel Kader Traore.

Jelgava, who had not scored in Daugavpils since June 2023, found it difficult to create meaningful opportunities, but came agonisingly close in stoppage time. After Artem Garzha lost possession in his own half, Jelgava launched a quick counter-attack. In a three-on-three situation, the ball found Tomaš Rataj, but the young Czech forward fired over the bar from an excellent position, failing to punish Daugavpils for their mistake.

Daugavpils held on to secure a hard-fought victory, extending their winning streak to four matches and, at least temporarily, climbing to third place in the standings after a difficult start to the season, which saw them lose their first three games.

Daugavpils will look to continue their run on Tuesday when they visit FK Tukums 2000, while Jelgava – winless since the opening round and now on a six-match winless streak – will aim to turn things around at home against FK Auda.

BFC Daugavpils vs FS Jelgava – 1-0 (0-0)
Goal: Yakubu 47′

#	Team	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	RFS	33	26	5	2	81	24	57	83
2	Riga FC	33	24	7	2	90	31	59	79
3	FK Auda	33	19	7	7	53	34	19	64
4	FK Liepāja	33	13	7	13	46	46	0	46
5	BFC Daugavpils	33	12	9	12	39	37	2	45
6	Super Nova	33	11	5	17	32	47	-15	38
7	FS Jelgava	33	8	8	17	34	56	-22	32
8	Grobiņa	33	6	11	16	25	56	-31	29
9	FK Tukums 2000	33	5	9	19	44	65	-21	24
10	Ogre United	33	4	6	23	33	81	-48	18