Estonia round-up: TVMK on Flora's tail
Wednesday, May 14, 2003
Article summary
TVMK Tallinn moved to within two points of FC Flora after the leaders were held 2-2 by JK Trans Narva.
Article body
TVMK Tallinn moved to within two points of FC Flora at the top of the Estonian First Division after the leaders were held 2-2 by JK Trans Narva.
Zahovaiko scores again
On a day when Flora's Estonian captain Martin Reim turned 32, it was Trans who were celebrating first when Dmitri Lipartov put them ahead on 23 minutes, but Flora were level on the hour when substitute Aleksandr Kulik tapped in. Trans were back ahead ten minutes later after Maksim Gruznov's header. However, with 16 minutes left, Flora maintained their unbeaten record thanks to Vjatseslav Zahovaiko, scoring a goal in his sixth consecutive game, two short of Sergei Bragin's all-time record.
Teever double
TVMK moved up to second place and also remained unbeaten with a comfortable 4-0 victory at home to JK Tulevik Viljandi. Maksim Smirnov gave TVMK a sixth-minute lead, and early in the second half, Andrei Krõlov doubled the lead. The introduction of substitute Ingemar Teever saw TVMK step up a further gear, the replacement scoring twice in two minutes and only a Kert Kütt save denied him the fastest hat-trick in league history.
Valga gain point
FC Levadia Maardu fell to third after bottom-placed FC Valga held them 0-0. Valga, who gained only their second point of the season, never looked like achieving a first victory of the season but their 20-year-old goalkeeper Jürgen Veber made a number of fine saves to frustrate the hosts, who hit the post in the first half through Mati Pari.
Twelve-goal game
However, the result of the night came at FC Kuressaare, where victors FC Levadia Tallinn triumphed 9-3. Kuressaare were without their two first-choice goalkeepers, and when Kert Küttis was injured in the 14th minute - with his side already 2-0 down - midfield player Rene Teino had to take over. His side came back to 2-2, but then fell 4-2 behind at the break, and as the second half began were reduced to ten men when Tarmo Neemelo was dimissed, allowing the visitors to pull away, Andrus Mitt, Sergei Dõmov and Yuriy Fenin all ending the match on two goals.
