Paide Linnameeskond locked down second place in the Estonian Premium Liiga after overcoming a two-goal deficit to finish in a 2-2 draw against Flora Tallinn during the final round of the season. At the same time, Nõmme Kalju saw a dramatic stoppage-time winner against champions FCI Levadia wiped out due to a video assistant referee review, resulting in another 2-2 draw that placed them fourth in the final standings, sitting just one point behind Flora. Because of this outcome, Kalju is forced to wait until the following year to find out if they will secure a spot in European competition.
Even though they had already locked up the league championship beforehand, Levadia deployed a powerful starting lineup to face Kalju, a squad that was actively battling for a top-three finish in the table. The visiting side began the contest with a promising performance and eventually broke the deadlock when Baptista scored with a shot that clipped off Levadia defender Nwankwo and sailed directly into the top corner of the goal.
Levadia managed to equalize later in the half through Wendell, who successfully scored from the penalty spot after Podholjuzin was whistled for a handball violation. Yet, Mattias Männilaan managed to put Kalju back in front before the interval arrived, and his scoring effort was permitted to stand following a VAR check regarding a potential offside infraction involving Baptista.
The league champions drew level once again after the halftime break when Nikoloz Kutateladze fired a shot that was blocked by goalkeeper Perk, only for the ball to ricochet off Danylo Mashchenko and end up in the back of the net. Levadia came close to capping off a full comeback when Wendell hammered a shot against the goalpost, though the most significant drama of the match was still yet to unfold.
Far into stoppage time, Männilaan appeared to have netted a dramatic game-winning goal that would have guaranteed a third-place finish for Kalju. Nevertheless, following a review by the referee using VAR, the goal was ultimately ruled out due to a handball committed by Jabir during the buildup of the play, forcing Kalju to accept fourth place overall. The match statistics for FCI Levadia Tallinn versus Nõmme Kalju ended in a 2-2 draw, with a 1-2 score at halftime, featuring goals from Wendell in the 34th minute via a penalty kick and Kutateladze in the 60th minute, alongside goals from Baptista in the 26th minute and Männilaan in the 42nd minute.
Simultaneously, about 90 kilometers away in the town of Paide, Flora put together a very strong beginning for their crucial away match against the hosts, pulling ahead in the ninth minute when Danil Kuraksin slotted the ball home calmly after receiving a pass from Tony Varjund.
The visiting team expanded their lead to two goals in the 24th minute when Vladislav Kreida launched a brilliant long-range pass from deep inside his own half of the pitch, enabling Sergei Zenjov to chip the ball over the rushing goalkeeper. With Flora holding a 2-0 advantage at the break, they were temporarily positioned to claim second place in the league table.
However, Paide mounted a stunning comeback immediately after play resumed for the second half. Momodou Jobarteh dribbled past Flora goalkeeper Evert Grünvald to score in the 46th minute, and just a minute later, Cabral fired a shot that rattled the crossbar and bounced off Grünvald for an own goal that leveled the score.
Flora continued pressing hard to find a winning goal, with Zenjov squandering a promising scoring chance and Sander Alamaa forcing a save from the Paide goalkeeper, but the home team successfully defended their position to earn the single point required to clinch second place.
This fixture also served as the final professional match for veteran Estonian international player Henrik Ojamaa, who entered the contest as a substitute for Paide in the 72nd minute.
With both concluding matches finishing in 2-2 draws, Paide wrapped up the campaign as the league runners-up, Flora captured third place, and Nõmme Kalju ended up in fourth place following their heartbreaking late disappointment against Levadia, with all three competing teams ultimately separated by a margin of three points. The final statistics for Paide Linnameeskond versus FC Flora Tallinn ended 2-2, with a 0-2 halftime score, featuring goals from Jobarteh in the 46th minute and Grünvald via an own goal in the 48th minute, contrasted against goals from Kuraksin in the 7th minute and Zenjov in the 24th minute.
SOURCE NAME: balticfootballnews.com
ORIGINAL HEADLINE: Paide secure second place while late VAR drama denies Kalju third spot
Source: balticfootballnews.com
