Estonia round-up: Flora spread their wings

Reigning champions FC Flora are three points ahead of the chasing pack after a 3-1 win against JK Tulevik Viljandi.

Setting the pace
With just five rounds of the Estonian Meistriliiga played, Flora are setting the pace again and have already opened up a three-point lead over FC Levadia Maardu who drew 1-1 with third-placed FC TVMK Tallinn.

Biggest challengers
Levadia Maardu took a 14th-minute lead in the all-important game between Flora's two biggest challengers, with 23-year-old Vladimir Tšelnokov beating TVMK goalkeeper Sergei Ussoltsev from Aleksandr Dmitrijev's pass.

Djatšenko in form
TVMK battled back, but found Levadia Maardu goalkeeper Aleksandr Djatšenko in superb form. It seemed that TVMK might finish the game with nothing until Ingemar Teever met Maksim Smirnov's cross and finally beat Djatšenko with a near-post header.

Hamre blow
It was not plain sailing for Flora in their home game against Tulevik on Monday. Norwegian striker Tor Henning Hamre broke the deadlock after 23 minutes, scoring his sixth goal of the season from a rebound after Andrei Stepanov's shot had been cleared off the line, but it was not to be an easy win.

Breakaway equaliser
Kert Kütt in the Tulevik goal managed to keep the champions at bay for long periods, and the visitors threatened a shock result when a rare breakaway saw Aleksandr Dubõkin set up lone striker Indrek Joost for an unlikely equaliser.

Flora fight back
However, the goal goaded Flora into action. Marko Kristal's free-kick was well met by Stepanov five minutes later and bundled over the line by Hamre for his seventh of the season, before Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko converted Kert Haavistu's cross for Flora's decisive third goal.

Kuressaare triumphant
Elsewhere, FC Kuressaare earned their first Meistriliiga win since returning to the top flight with a 2-1 victory against FC Valga. Goals from former international defender Janek Meet and Tiit Tikenberg did the damage with Dmitri Ustritski scoring for Valga.

Trans success
JK Trans Narva had a successful trip to the Estonian capital, taking three points from FC Levadia Tallinn in a 2-1 win. Konstantin Karin scored the visitors' winner in the 65th minute after Juri Leitan had cancelled out Dmitri Lipartov opener for Trans.