Sohna’s stoppage-time free-kick rescues Paide against Kuressaare

Image credit to Svetlana Valijeva/Paide Linnameeskond

Paide Linnameeskond left it until deep into stoppage time to secure all three points on Sunday, as substitute Modou Pa Sohna scored a dramatic late free-kick to earn a 1-0 victory over FC Kuressaare in the Estonian Premium Liiga.

Fresh from their UEFA Conference League triumph over Zira earlier in the week, Paide rotated heavily, making eight changes to the starting lineup. Despite dominating possession throughout the match, the home side struggled to create clear-cut opportunities against a disciplined Kuressaare defence.

Paide controlled around 70 percent of the ball during the opening half, but neither side threatened regularly in what was a cagey encounter. The best opportunities before the break came from set pieces, with Pad Abdou Cham heading narrowly wide and Kuressaare goalkeeper Karl-Romet Nõmm comfortably dealing with the few efforts directed on target.

The pattern of the game remained largely unchanged after the interval. Paide continued to dictate possession but found it difficult to break down the visitors, while Kuressaare looked dangerous on occasional counter-attacks and nearly stole a goal late on.

With the match seemingly heading for a goalless draw, Paide were awarded a free-kick in the third minute of stoppage time. Substitute Modou Pa Sohna stepped up and curled his effort into the net, with the strike taking a slight deflection on its way past Nõmm to hand the hosts a dramatic 1-0 victory.

The late winner secured another important three points for Paide, who continue their push near the top of the Premium Liiga table. Attention now quickly turns to Europe, with the club set to host Austrian side Rapid Wien in the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round.

Paide Linnameeskond vs FC Kuressaare – 1-0 (0-0)
Goal: Sohna 90+3′

#TeamP WDL GFGAGDPts
1
FCI Levadia
20 14 5 1 50 17 33 47
2
FC Flora
20 13 0 7 40 21 19 39
3
Nõmme Kalju
21 11 5 5 38 17 21 38
4
Paide
21 10 5 6 33 28 5 35
5
Pärnu Vaprus
21 8 3 10 29 39 -10 27
6
Tammeka
19 8 2 9 22 31 -9 26
7
Harju
21 8 1 12 30 35 -5 25
8
Nõmme United
21 8 1 12 40 48 -8 25
9
Kuressaare
21 5 3 13 19 34 -15 18
10
Narva Trans
21 5 1 15 17 48 -31 16