In the Estonian Premium Liiga match, Nomme Kalju FC secured their first victory against JK Narva Trans in over a year after scoring a bizarre goal and ultimately winning 2:1.
Before the game, both teams were on a two-match winning streak. Narva had emerged victorious against Tallinna Kalev and Tartu JK Tammeka, while Kalju recorded wins against Harju JK Laagri and FC Kuressaare. Last season, the two teams split their four league meetings, with each team winning twice and playing to two draws.
Narva’s manager, Kozhukhovskyi, maintained the same starting lineup for the fourth straight match, while Kalju’s manager, Andreev, made one change, bringing Latvian Ivans Patrikejevs into the starting eleven for the fourth time this season.
The opening goal of the game came in the 18th minute. Ivans Patrikejevs, with a header, redirected the ball upfield to Guilherme Smith. Using his speed, Smith outpaced a Narva defender to create a one-on-one chance, which he converted, scoring his third goal of the season. He is now involved in half of Kalju’s goals, having also provided four assists.
In the first half, both teams had great opportunities to score, but the goalkeepers performed exceptionally well, and the score remained 1-0 at halftime.
At the start of the second half, an unusual goal occurred when a Narva Trans defender attempted to send the ball long but accidentally struck Nomme Kalju player Musolitin. The ball arced back toward the goal, catching the goalkeeper off guard and resulting in a strange goal that doubled Kalju’s lead.
Narva managed to bounce back and cut the lead in half. Mark Maksimkin delivered a cross to 17-year-old Nikita Baljabkin, who failed to make contact. However, the ball continued on its path to the far post, surprising Kalju’s goalkeeper, Maksim Pavlov.
With 25 minutes remaining, Narva Trans sought an equalizer. They came close in the 81st minute when Aleksandr Ivanyushin’s header, following a save by Pavlov, struck the crossbar. A few minutes later, Egor Žuravljov attempted a long-range shot, reminiscent of his earlier goal against Tallinna Kalev, but this time the goalkeeper was alert and made the save.
Kalju held on for their first win against Narva since March 2024, as the referee blew the final whistle. Nomme Kalju continues their winning streak, while Narva’s two-match winning run comes to an end. Following this win, both teams are now tied with 13 points in the league standings, sitting in 4th and 5th place, respectively, after eight matches.
JK Narva Trans vs Nomme Kalju FC – 1:2 (0:1)
Goals: Maksimkin 66′ | Smith 18′, Musolitin 47′
Yellow Card: Ivanyushin 24′, Agaptsev 65′ | Musolitin 75′, Smith 89′
NAR: Matrossov – Burjanadze, Campagna, Santos – Bondar (Filatov 60′), Žuravljov, Ivanyushin – Maksimkin (Elysee 67′), Agaptsev (Correia 67′) – Kabore (Baljabkin 60′), Viidas (Kozhushko 60′)
KAL: Pavlov – Maschenko, Tambedou (Tarassenkov 72′), Podholjuzin, Nikolajev – Siht, Musolitin (Orlov 90+1′), Ivanov (Marin 63′) – Patrikejevs (Liit 90+1′) – Kask (Korre 72′), Smith
| # | Club | GP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| 1 | FC Flora | 12 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 26 |
| 2 | FCI Levadia | 11 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 25 |
| 3 | Nõmme Kalju | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 22 |
| 4 | Paide | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 22 |
| 5 | Narva Trans | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 19 |
| 6 | Harju JK | 12 | 4 | 1 | 7 | -11 | 13 |
| 7 | Pärnu Vaprus | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | -3 | 11 |
| 8 | FC Kuressaare | 11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | -10 | 10 |
| 9 | Tammeka Tartu | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | -18 | 7 |
| 10 | Tallinna Kalev | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | -25 | 7 |