Paide Linnameeskond strengthened their position near the top of the Premium Liiga with a convincing 3-1 home victory over Pärnu JK Vaprus, scoring crucial goals either side of half-time to pull away from their visitors.
The two sides entered the match having shared the points in their previous league meeting this season, with Vaprus claiming a surprise victory in March. Paide were without midfielder Martin Miller, who missed out through injury, while Vaprus welcomed Henri Välja back from suspension.
The hosts created the first opportunities through Victor Hugo and Abdourahman Badamosi before eventually taking the lead in the 15th minute. Edgar Turi delivered a low cross into the six-yard box, where Badamosi applied an excellent first-time finish to make it 1-0.
Vaprus responded well and were rewarded less than ten minutes later. Paide’s defence left Matthias Limberg unmarked inside the penalty area, allowing the forward to control Pajo’s pass before curling a composed finish into the far corner for the equaliser.
The visitors enjoyed their best spell after drawing level, but Paide regained the initiative just before the interval. Following consecutive corners, Modou Pa Sohna’s delivery was flicked on by Nikita Baranov, allowing Daniel Luts to beat Henri Välja at the back post and restore the hosts’ lead.
That momentum carried into the second half. Just three minutes after the restart, Sohna delivered another dangerous corner to the near post, where Baranov again provided the flick-on for Victor Hugo to head home and extend Paide’s advantage to 3-1.
The third goal effectively settled the contest. Paide dominated possession throughout the second half and limited Vaprus to very few meaningful opportunities, while continuing to threaten themselves. Sohna remained at the centre of most attacking moves and nearly added a goal of his own late on, only to see his effort strike the post after goalkeeper Ott Nõmm made the initial save.
Vaprus produced a brief spell of late pressure, but the hosts remained comfortable and saw out the closing minutes without serious difficulty.
After a relatively even first half, Paide’s goals immediately before and after the interval proved decisive as they secured another important three points with an impressive second-half display.
Paide get closer to the Top 3, with just two points behind Kalju. Meanwhile Vaprus with 23 points after 18 matches are sixth in the league table.
Paide Linnameeskond vs Pärnu JK Vaprus – 3-1 (2-1)
Goals: Badamosi 15′, D.Luts 43′, Victor Hugo 47′ | Limberg 24′
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  FCI Levadia |
19 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 49 | 16 | 33 | 46 |
| 2 |  FC Flora |
18 | 12 | 0 | 6 | 38 | 19 | 19 | 36 |
| 3 |  Nõmme Kalju |
19 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 33 | 16 | 17 | 34 |
| 4 |  Paide |
19 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 30 | 23 | 7 | 32 |
| 5 |  Tammeka |
17 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 20 | 21 | -1 | 26 |
| 6 |  Pärnu Vaprus |
18 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 22 | 34 | -12 | 23 |
| 7 |  Nõmme United |
18 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 34 | 43 | -9 | 19 |
| 8 |  Harju |
18 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 22 | 32 | -10 | 19 |
| 9 |  Kuressaare |
18 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 17 | 30 | -13 | 17 |
| 10 |  Narva Trans |
18 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 12 | 43 | -31 | 10 |
