Paide Linnameeskond secured their third win of the Premium Liiga season with a 3-1 home victory over Nõmme United, but only after a tense and at times chaotic contest that remained in the balance until stoppage time.
United actually threatened first and showed from the opening minutes that they had not arrived merely to defend. Beglarishvili went close early on with a shot that flew just wide of the top corner, while the visitors also caused problems from set-pieces and direct play into the channels.
Paide gradually settled into the match and found the breakthrough in the 14th minute. Daniel Luts slipped a pass into the box for Pa Abdou Cham, who was brought down by Järvelaid. The referee pointed to the spot, and Daniel Cabral made no mistake from the penalty, sending the ball low into the corner for his third goal of the season.
That goal gave the home side more control, although they still struggled to fully dominate United, who remained dangerous on the counter. Paide created a few half-chances of their own through Cham, Nigula and Cabral, but the match remained open.
Early in the second half, United were inches away from an equaliser when Owusu combined neatly with Mätas and broke through one-on-one, only for goalkeeper Jarju to produce a superb save with his legs.
Paide made that moment count almost immediately. In the 52nd minute, Jarju launched a long ball forward from his own area, Kristofer Piht won the duel against Morishige, burst into the box and finished confidently to make it 2-0. There was a VAR check for a possible foul in the build-up, but the goal stood.
Still, United refused to go away. In the 57th minute they were awarded a penalty after Karl Läänelaid drove into the box and went down under contact from Cabral. This time, however, Jarju came to Paide’s rescue again, saving Frolov’s penalty with a strong stop.
Even that did not end the visitors’ comeback attempt. In the 61st minute they got their goal anyway. Frolov delivered a dangerous cross from the right, Jarju failed to deal with it convincingly, and Järvelaid was on hand to turn the loose ball into the net and cut the deficit to 1-2.
That goal made for an increasingly nervous finish for Paide. United pushed hard and sensed the home side’s uncertainty, while Paide missed chances to put the game away, most notably when Piht was denied from close range by an excellent reaction save from Pürg.
As the game moved into stoppage time, the tension only grew. United continued to throw men forward, but Paide finally killed the contest in the closing seconds. After a long throw caused chaos in the box, Henri Anier managed to free himself and send the ball back into the danger area. It eventually bounced through to Momodou Jobarteh, who finished from close range to make it 3-1 and seal the points.
Paide Linnameeskond vs Nõmme United – 3-1 (1-0)
Goals: Cabral 14′ (Penalty kick), Piht 52′, Jobarteh 90+2′ | Järvelaid 61′
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Nõmme Kalju |
5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 15 |
| 2 |  FCI Levadia |
5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 11 |
| 3 |  Paide |
5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 10 |
| 4 |  Harju |
5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 9 |
| 5 |  Narva Trans |
5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 6 |  FC Flora |
5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 7 | -1 | 6 |
| 7 |  Tammeka |
5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 10 | -2 | 6 |
| 8 |  Nõmme United |
5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 4 |
| 9 |  Kuressaare |
5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 11 | -7 | 3 |
| 10 |  Pärnu Vaprus |
5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 15 | -9 | 3 |
