Nõmme Kalju’s UEFA Conference League campaign came to an end despite defeating Irish side Shelbourne 2-1 at Pärnu Rannastaadion, as the Estonian club were eliminated 4-6 on aggregate in the second qualifying round.
Trailing 1-5 after last week’s heavy defeat in Dublin, Kalju faced an enormous task from the outset. Their hopes suffered another major setback in the 14th minute when Daniel Kelly gave Shelbourne the lead, extending the visitors’ aggregate advantage to five goals.
Things went from bad to worse just after the half-hour mark when Oleksandr Musolitin was shown a straight red card for a dangerous challenge, leaving Kalju to play more than an hour with ten men.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, the Estonian side refused to give up. Early in the second half, leading scorer Enrique Esono capitalised on a defensive mistake to pull one goal back, giving the home supporters renewed belief.
Kalju continued to push forward and were rewarded again in the 76th minute when substitute Ibrahim Jabir rose highest from a corner to head home and make it 2-1 on the night.
However, the mountain proved too steep to climb. Shelbourne comfortably managed the closing minutes, knowing the aggregate score remained firmly in their favour despite Kalju’s spirited finish.
The victory on the night provided some consolation for Nõmme Kalju, but the Estonian side bow out of Europe after a 4-6 aggregate defeat, while Shelbourne advance to the third qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League.
