Triobet Baltic League: FK Ventspils win dramatic final

FK Ventspils were crowned Triobet Baltic League champions of 2009/10 last Sunday in a dramatic final against Lithuanian side FK Sūduva in the latter’s home stadium in the town of Marijampolė. In what was a game of many chances it was a surprise that it took until the 82nd minute of the contest for the final’s opening goal to appear. Alexandru Dedov opened the scoring for FK Ventpils and when the game reached stoppage time it appeared that the Yellow and Blues would hold out for the win. However a goal from Ricardas Beniušis saved the Lithuanians’ hopes of glory and took the game into extra-time and this was when the fun really began. Two goals in first half extra-time from Jurijs Žigajevs and Michael Tukura appeared to have settled the game in Ventspils’ favour but more late drama was to come from Sūduva. Beniušis scored his second goal of the game with six minutes remaining and then, deep into stoppage time there was another last-gasp equalizing goal for the home side, this time from substitute Andrius Urbšys, to take the game into the lottery of a penalty shoot-out. After a game of this quality it was a shame that anybody had to lose but that fate fell upon FK Sūduva whose extra-time saviour Andrius Urbšys was the unlucky man to miss his penalty and, thus, allowed Grigori Chirkin to seal the 5-3 shoot-out win and celebrate becoming Baltic champions for the first time. Watch Match Highlights HERE: