---
title: "Sixteen-year-old Paalberg makes history as Vaprus crush Tammeka"
date: 2025-09-16T18:41:58Z
lang: en
author: "Dmitrijs Kravcenko"
canonical: https://balticfootballnews.com/sixteen-year-old-paalberg-makes-history-as-vaprus-crush-tammeka/
categories: ["Premium liiga"]
---

# Sixteen-year-old Paalberg makes history as Vaprus crush Tammeka
![](https://i0.wp.com/balticfootballnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/1756997574.jpg?resize=799%2C506&ssl=1)Photo: Svetlana Valijeva

**Pärnu Vaprus** continued their dominance over Tammeka this season, winning 4–1 away and completing a clean sweep of four victories against the Tartu side. The star of the night was 16-year-old **Marten-Chris Paalberg**, who struck a hat-trick to become the youngest player in Estonian top-flight history to achieve the feat.

_“It was a very good game from us. I like scoring goals, and finally it came. I’m very happy, we’ll keep working and see at the end of the season how many goals I’ll have,”_ Paalberg told Soccernet TV after the final whistle. _“In the end, hard work pays off and that’s where the goals come from.”_

Although a 35th-minute red card to Tammeka’s David Epton helped tilt the match, Paalberg was quick to emphasise the collective effort. _“I think it’s the team’s work. Without the team we wouldn’t get these kinds of scores and wins. Big credit to the whole squad.”_

For Vaprus, the result carried extra sweetness after a heavy 1–6 defeat to Tammeka in a pre-season friendly. _“I think that loss only grew our appetite. Now we’ve shown in the Premium Liiga that we didn’t deserve that defeat,”_ Paalberg noted.

After a setback against Flora in the previous round ended their five-game winning streak, Vaprus began a new run in convincing style. _“As our head coach said, every streak comes to an end sooner or later. Now we showed that we can still play. I want a win against Kalev. That’s the real bonus for me — I’m focused on winning,”_ said Paalberg.

On the losing side, **Tammeka** centre-back **Sander Alex Liit** admitted that his team paid the price for a sluggish start and a costly dismissal. _“It’s definitely a big disappointment. We started slow — couldn’t adapt to their game plan, let runners in behind us, conceded goals too easily and once again picked up a totally unacceptable red card. … We kept telling ourselves the game wasn’t over and gave our maximum, but an hour with ten men and already behind is very tough,”_ he reflected.

Liit, on loan from Nõmme Kalju, still values his spell in Tartu despite the setback. _“The feeling is good. I’m getting game time and the team has welcomed me well. The Harju match went rather well, but today I have to admit a couple of goals were on me. I could have done better. There’s still a lot of work ahead.”_

Looking ahead, Tammeka now prepare to face Flora away on Saturday. _“We need a reset now. Look in the mirror and go to Tallinn to fight Flora for three points,”_ said Liit.

* * *

Source: https://soccernet.ee/artikkel/rekordimees-paalberg-lopuks-kannab-too-vilja