Paide end Flora’s eight-year reign to win first Estonian women’s title

Lisette Tammik scored twice as Paide Linnanaiskond beat Harju Laagri 3-1 at home on Sunday to win their first Estonian women’s title in their debut top-flight season. A crowd of 654 watched the decisive match in Paide.

Tammik, who joined Paide in January after winning eight successive titles with FC Flora, opened the scoring in the 22nd minute. Harju captain Maria Orav equalised around the hour mark, but Tammik restored Paide’s lead in the 70th minute before substitute Carola Erik headed in her corner.

Paide needed only a draw and finished three points clear of Flora, who beat FC Elva 8-1 in Tallinn.

Paide Linnanaiskond captain Renate-Ly Mehevets said the team had worked hard throughout the season, including the journeys between Paide and Tallinn. “The energy we started the season with, and the belief that we could do it – and then actually doing it – is so great,” she said.

Asked what set Paide apart, Mehevets joked: “We got the most points!” She added that the players stood by one another through difficult games and changing fortunes. The captain said the title-clinching match became tense after Paide allowed Harju to score, but praised the crowd for giving the players both excitement and nerves as they completed the job.

Flora won three of their five meetings with Paide, but the new champions took all 30 points available against the bottom two, Harju and Elva, five more than Flora managed against the same sides.

Flora’s Goalkeeper Victoria Vihman said the result of the title race was a major disappointment for the side.

“Of course it is a big disappointment. You always want to win, but we have to take into account that we are a very young team,” Vihman told Soccernet TV after the match. “We just need to work harder. There is nothing we can do now; we have to take what needs improving into next season.”

Vihman said the squad had become much younger in recent years and needed to keep developing together. She was pleased with Flora’s performance against Elva, though she accepted some responsibility for the visitors’ only goal. “The team did very well. I’ll take a bit of the blame for that goal, but I think we played well. We played nicely and did not let other things distract us.”