Grobinya has secured its place in the Virsliga for another season, defeating JDFS Alberts 1-0 in a promotion/relegation playoff match. The victory marks the 12th consecutive year a top-tier Virsliga club has prevailed against a team vying for promotion from the second division.
The decisive goal came in the 40th minute when Alexey Gryaznov of Grobinya scored off a corner kick. The match was heavily influenced by controversial refereeing decisions, including a penalty awarded to Grobinya in the 18th minute for a handball by JDFS Alberts defender matvey Marusia – a penalty captain David Dobretsov subsequently missed.Marusia was later sent off, and JDFS Alberts finished the game with nine players after matisse Zegele received a red card for rough play in the second half.
Video replay was crucial in both sending off Marusia and awarding the initial penalty, according to Sportacentrs.com. The first leg between the two teams ended in a scoreless draw.With this result, Grobinya retains its Virsliga status, while Metta will be replaced by Ogre United – the champions of the second division – in the upcoming season.
