TVMK spoil Viikmäe's farewell

By Margus Luik

Last season's runners up FC TVMK Tallinn have had a magnificent month, winning all five of their league games and two cup ties. Scoring 32 goals and conceding just two, TVMK are level on 15 points with Meistriliiga champions FC Levadia Tallinn, but with a game in hand.

Close thing
The nearest TVMK came to dropping a point was in their second league match of the season against fierce local rivals FC Flora. Despite taking a 3-0 lead before the break, Flora cut the deficit to 3-2 in the second half before an own-goal from Flora's Estonian international right-back Teet Allas sealed a 4-2 win.

Four each
TVMK have not conceded a goal since. In the league they have won 2-0 against JK Tulevik Viljandi, 9-0 against JK Tammeka Tartu and 3-0 against JK Trans Narva, while they earned a 9-0 aggregate win against FC Valga in the Estonian Cup. Four TVMK players - Tarmo Neemelo, Egidijus Juška, Ingemar Teever and Maksim Smirnov - have now all scored four goals each.

Coach honoured
Unsurprisingly, TVMK coach Vyacheslav Bulavin was named as the Estonian Football Association's inaugural Coach of the Month. From this season, coaches and players will be regularly polled to decide who deserves to be player and coach of the month. The successful player on this occasion was 17-year-old Trans striker Aleksandr Kulatšenko, who has scored seven goals in five matches.

Tartu derby
Elsewhere, the first Tartu derby of the season between FC Tammeka Tartu and FC Merkuur Tartu ended in a 2-2 draw in front of a crowd of 900. That has been the biggest crowd of the season in Estonia so far with cold weather still keeping crowds off the terraces.

Viikmäe departs
TVMK's 4-2 win against Flora proved to be Flora's international forward Kristen Viikmäe's last game in Estonia for the time being after he sealed a late move to join Norwegian side Fredrikstad FK, where he will join his international team-mate, defender Raio Piiroja.

Norway calling
It is Viikmäe's second spell in Norway, as he spent three years at Vålerenga IF Oslo between 2000 and 2003 before moving back to Flora. The forward will stay at Fredrikstad until 15 July, with Flora receiving a loan fee of €12,500. Fredrikstad have the option of buying the player for €190,000 in the summer.