Butkuts 2 - 2 Kunie (374639389)

Clouds darkened the skies at Tanja Dome as 50038 spectators turned up for the match. Álvaro Grass was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Peter-Jan Brozius and Ivan Fabricius. Butkuts started off with a 4-5-1 lineup. Lineup: Lohne - Procee, Blitterswijk, Vancāns, Cajot - van den Hoorn, Pinna, Ciorescu, Metsers, Schaafsma - Monnoye.

Kunie tactics involved an interesting 4-4-2 combination. The following players took the field: Nifenecker - van Steensel, Diago, Nichols, Eylon - Marbizza, Wensveen, Vles, Brugiotti - Castellanos, Wotte.

Using their counter-attacking abilities was the strategy of choice for Kunie. N. Wotte's speed is always a threat when he gets a little room to move, and 12 minutes into the match was no different as he broke free of his man to send a delightful through ball to A. Castellanos who knocked it in for Kunie. 0 - 1! The corner kick from B. Metsers was powerfully met by the head of L. Cajot to make the score 1 - 1. Kunie's C. Nichols got himself booked for a foul. Kunie mounted an inspired counterattack down the right wing after 23 minutes, but C. Nichols was unable to convert from short range. The opposing supporters gave the referee an earful when he only gave G. Vles from Kunie a yellow card after a mistimed challenge from behind 29 minutes into the game. That was far too lenient! A loud groan was heard from the fans of Butkuts, as A. Ciorescu left the pitch in too much pain to finish the match. R. van Koningsbrugge took his place on the field. Halftime score was 1 - 1. Butkuts claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 59 percent.

Some quick footwork on the left side of the field 63 minutes into the match left Kunie's M. Brugiotti completely free to score. 1 - 2 for the visitors. 75 minutes in, and Butkuts were able to score the equalising goal to make it 2 - 2 when B. Metsers picked up a pass coming in from the right and chipped it past the away team's keeper. Butkuts had most of the ball, with 59 percent of possession.

Butkuts's top performer was clearly E. Lohne. L. Cajot was a disappointment, however. Most important Kunie player was A. Wensveen. However, F. Marbizza made a disastrous appearance. The match ends 2 - 2.