Paide Linnameeskond ended the 11th round of the Estonian Premium Liiga with a nervy 3-2 away victory over Nõmme United on a difficult Männiku Stadium pitch.
Paide started better and were awarded an early penalty after VAR judged that Victor Hugo had been fouled inside the box. Daniel Cabral stepped up and converted confidently, sending goalkeeper Georg Lagus who was making his first appearance of the season the wrong way.
Soon after Paide doubled their lead. Martin Miller sent Daniel Luts through with a long pass, and the winger rounded Lagus before rolling the ball into an empty net to make it 2-0.
United grew into the match after the poor start and had several corners and set pieces, but struggled to create clear chances before halftime. Paide remained the more dangerous side and went into the break with a deserved two-goal advantage.
The visitors appeared to have settled the match midway through the second half when substitute Henri Anier made an immediate impact. Just five minutes after coming on, the experienced striker received a long pass from Victor Hugo, carried the ball forward and fired a powerful strike into the top corner to make it 3-0.
But United refused to disappear. Moments later, substitute Benjamin Chisala turned sharply inside the penalty area and finished well after being found by Bruno Vain, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
The home side then received a penalty after Victor Hugo handled the ball inside the box following a corner situation. Andre Frolov converted with precision, beating Ebrima Jarju despite the goalkeeper guessing the right way.
At 3-2, the game suddenly became tense. United pushed for an equaliser and came close when Vain’s effort from a tight angle was cleared off the line by Gerdo Juhkam.
Paide also had chances to kill the game, with Anier, Smirnov and Cham all wasting promising situations in the closing stages. But despite allowing United back into the contest after a three-goal lead, Paide held on for an important victory.
The result keeps Paide firmly in the upper part of the table, while Nõmme United were left to regret another spirited comeback that ultimately came too late.
Nõmme United vs Paide Linnameeskond – 2-3 (0-2)
Goals: Chisala 66′, Frolov 80′ (Penalty Kick) | Daniel Cabral 9′ (Penalty Kick), D.Luts 14′, Anier 65′
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  FCI Levadia |
11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 29 | 8 | 21 | 27 |
| 2 |  Nõmme Kalju |
11 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 7 | 15 | 22 |
| 3 |  FC Flora |
11 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 22 | 12 | 10 | 21 |
| 4 |  Paide |
11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 20 | 14 | 6 | 20 |
| 5 |  Harju |
11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 20 | -6 | 16 |
| 6 |  Nõmme United |
11 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 25 | 27 | -2 | 13 |
| 7 |  Tammeka |
11 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 17 | -5 | 13 |
| 8 |  Pärnu Vaprus |
11 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 21 | -8 | 13 |
| 9 |  Kuressaare |
11 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 20 | -9 | 9 |
| 10 |  Narva Trans |
11 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 31 | -22 | 6 |
