Records broken in memorable month

By Margus Luik

August was a month to remember in the Estonian Meistriliiga, with many clubs breaking their own records - both from a positive and negative standpoint – while a new mark was set for the fastest league goal.

Kotenko beaten at last
The most notable achievement was league leaders FC Levadia Tallinn's run of six games without conceding a goal. Goalkeeper Artur Kotenko was one day short of remaining unbeaten for two months when FC Valga put two goals past him.

Poom still tops
It closed Kotenko's undefeated run at 575 minutes which is a club record but still 181 minutes short of Mart Poom’s Meistriliiga record, established in 1996 while playing for FC Flora. Kotenko's feat was then followed by a successful debut for the Estonian national team in a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Liechtenstein in Vaduz.

Lootus' unlucky 13
In the 21st round of matches, FC TVMK Tallinn beat FC Lootus Alutaguse 13-0 which set a new mark at both clubs. However, TVMK were still a long way short of matching FC Tevalte Tallinn’s record score of 24-0 established against Kalev Sillamäe in 1994.

Winner and loser
Lithuanian striker Egidijus Juska scored six of TVMK's 13 goals that day and is now a serious challenger to FC Flora's still-suspended Vjatseslav Zahovaiko for the top scorer's award. Yet at the same time Juska was losing one of his records, set in his previous spell with TVMK in 2000, when he scored in the 17th second of the match against JK Tulevik Viljandi.

Quickfire Saharov
On 29 August, Flora's Aleksander Saharov beat that when hitting the opening goal against Lootus in the 12th second. A pass to the right flank found Mihhail Istsuk and he crossed for Saharov to head home and write his name in the record books.

Bondarenko returns
JK Trans Narva, who are back under the management of experienced coach Valeri Bondarenko, are making a habit of scoring late and important goals. In the latest league fixture, Oleg Gorjatsov equalised in the fourth minute of stoppage time against JK Merkuur Tartu to earn a 2-2 draw. Twice before this season Trans have won points with goals in the third minute of added time – earning a draw against Levadia and a 1-0 win over Lootus.

Third spell
Bondarenko, 51, is Trans's third coach of the season, returning for his third spell in charge to replace Aleksei Yagudin. Released a few weeks ago by Russian second division side Lokomotiv Nizhni Novgorod, Bondarenko has signed a contract with Trans until the end of 2005.