Nõmme Kalju brought an end to their three-match winless run by claiming a vital 2-1 home victory over Flora Tallinn in the Estonian Premium Liiga. The match was heavily shaped by Mattias Männilaan, who scored twice inside the opening six minutes. This important result moves Kalju to within four points of third-placed Flora, thereby keeping their aspirations of securing European qualification via a top-three finish very much alive.
Both squads stepped onto the pitch at Hiiu Stadium while struggling to find consistency. Flora in particular arrived eager to bounce back from a disappointing 1-3 defeat suffered against Harju JK Laagri. In response to their recent form, Kalju made four adjustments to their starting lineup. This included a return in goal for Henri Perk, who took the place of Maksim Pavlov after Pavlov had started each of the previous five matches. Due to suspensions for Rommi Siht and Nikita Ivanov, 19-year-old Fjodor Jekimov was handed his very first Premium Liiga start.
Flora welcomed both Sander Tovstik and Sergei Zenjov back into their starting eleven, but their afternoon devolved into a nightmare almost immediately. Merely three minutes after the referee blew for kick-off, Männilaan pounced on a loose ball situated near the edge of the penalty area. He drove forward with purpose and calmly placed his shot into the bottom corner, giving Kalju a dream early lead.
Things went from bad to worse for the visiting side almost instantaneously. During the sixth minute, Flora defender Kolobov brought down Orlov inside the penalty area, which prompted the referee to point to the penalty spot. After a review confirmed the decision via VAR, Männilaan stepped up to take the kick and successfully converted, thereby doubling Kalju’s advantage.
Männilaan nearly capped off a sensational hat-trick as early as the eighth minute. He produced a striking acrobatic overhead kick that forced Flora goalkeeper Evert Grünvald into making an excellent save underneath the crossbar.
Despite enduring such a dreadful start, Flora gradually worked their way back into the contest and pulled a goal back in the 13th minute. Sander Alamaa delivered an exceptional cross from the left flank, and the experienced Zenjov arrived precisely inside the six-yard box to direct the ball cleanly between Perk and the near post, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
That goal injected renewed confidence into Flora, although Kalju continuously looked dangerous whenever they advanced forward. Alamaa threatened to level the score twice before the interval. First, he beat Jekimov and fired an effort narrowly wide from a tight angle, and second, he failed to make clean contact with another opportunity that arose inside the penalty area.
The hosts ultimately finished the opening half on the front foot, though they were unable to restore their previous two-goal cushion. Kalju entered the half-time interval leading 2-1, having registered five shots on target compared to just one from Flora.
Flora returned for the second half displaying greater urgency, making a tactical change by introducing Kalimullin in place of Valdmets right at the break. The substitute quickly involved himself in the action by having a long-range effort blocked before Perk safely collected the loose ball.
The visitors continued applying pressure by pushing forward, with Antonov testing Perk from distance. However, Kalju remained a constant threat on the counterattack. Männilaan came remarkably close to sealing his hat-trick once again shortly before the hour mark, finding open space inside the penalty area and directing a close-range effort toward the near post. Yet, Grünvald produced another vital save to keep Flora within touching distance.
Flora responded by bringing on Rauno Alliku and Danil Kuraksin. Kuraksin immediately injected fresh energy into their attacking play by delivering a dangerous cross toward Zenjov, whose subsequent header missed the target. Kuraksin then wasted a promising opportunity of his own by unleashing a powerful shot that sailed well over the crossbar.
As the second half wore on, Flora managed longer spells of possession, forcing Kalju to defend deeper in their own half. Even so, the visitors struggled to convert their territorial dominance into clear-cut scoring opportunities. Flora’s task grew even harder when substitute Alliku suffered a head injury following a collision involving Zenjov and Perk inside the penalty area. Having only entered the game during the second half, Alliku was forced off the pitch and replaced by Usta.
The visitors continued their search for an equalizer throughout five minutes of stoppage time. Kalimullin saw another effort blocked following a corner kick, while Antonov found himself completely unmarked for a header but directed the ball straight into the arms of Perk.
Kalju held firm to secure a significant 2-1 victory, ending their three-match winless streak and dealing another blow to Flora’s disappointing campaign.
The final result leaves Kalju just four points behind third-placed Flora, noting that Flora has played one match more. Given that third place guarantees European qualification, Kalju remain firmly in the race for a podium finish.
Nõmme Kalju vs FC Flora Tallinn – 2-1 (2-1) Goals: Männilaan 3′, 6′ (Penalty kick) | Zenjov 13′.
SOURCE NAME: balticfootballnews.com
ORIGINAL HEADLINE: Männilaan’s early double ends Kalju winless run
Source: balticfootballnews.com
