Flora win Super Cup on penalties after dramatic late Narva Trans comeback

Flora Tallinn have won this year's Estonian Super Cup after surviving a dramatic late comeback from Narva Trans. For the second Super Cup final in a row, Meistriliiga champions Flora threw away a two-goal first half lead. This year however, they held their nerve to claim the trophy after a penalty shootout.
As this year's Estonian Super Cup final headed for injury at the Mannimäe Football Hall in Viljandi, Flora Tallinn must have thought they had it in the bag. 1-0 up after just three minutes thanks to a header from defender Markkus Seppik, the Estonian champions doubled their lead seven minutes before the break through Mark Anders Lepik.
But, as they well know from last year's final, when they lost out 3-2 to Paide Linnameeskond, there's a good reason why 2-0 is often considered the most dangerous score in football.
In truth, Narva Trans, Flora's opponents in what is Estonia's equivalent of the Community Shield, has played some decent stuff. But Flora always looked a threat on the break and from set pieces too.
Trans had earned the right to be here after a 2-1 victory over Flora in the final of Estonia's main domestic cup, the Evald Tipner Trophy, last June. But while that win had more than an element of smash and grab to it, on this occasion they looked far more accomplished.

Georgian playmaker Zakaria Beglarishvili, once of Flora, had some neat touches for Narva in midfield, while his countryman Sergo Kukhianidze seemed intent on forcing the issue, producing several speculative efforts from long range.
It was hard not to admire the dedication of the 396 supporters inside the Mannimäe Football Hall, some of whom had traveled over three hours down from Narva to Viljandi just to see the game. Thankfully for them, the swish indoor venue provided far more protection from the elements than Tallinn's Sportland Arena during previous editions of this season-opening showcase.
But just as Flora fans were starting to celebrate a record 12th Super Cup win for their side and Narva's supporters were pondering the long journey back home, the drama began.

With 90 minutes on the clock, substitute Jegor Žuravljov curled a long-rage shot straight into the top corner. The Narva fans went wild. But surely it was too little, too late.
Then, in the fourth minute of time added on, Beglarishvili was brought down in the Flora penalty area. It looked soft to some. But the referee had no hesitation. Penalty to Narva. Up stepped Kukhianidze to drill the spot kick home. 2-2, and with no extra time, it was straight to penalties.
We all know how cruel that lottery can be, and there would be tears from some of the younger supporters in the crowd when it was all over. As it transpired, another of Narva's Georgian contingent Shalva Burjanadze, would be the unlucky one to miss the decisive kick on this occasion.
That left it down to Flora's Estonian international midfielder Vladislav Kreida to convert the decisive penalty and secure the trophy. Kreida made no mistake.

"I think we got off to a good start, but struggled in the second half. We saw that this might happen, because we have had a difficult period here at the end [of preseason], in terms of the workload," Flora head coach Norbert Hurt told ERR after the match.
While some say form goes out the window in the cup, there was certainly plenty in this performance for Narva Trans to be optimistic about going into the season ahead. But as supporters and players alike headed out of the Mannimäe Football Hall through the same set of revolving doors, into what was a beautiful winter's afternoon in Viljandi, whether they can sustain that level over an entire campaign remains to be seen.

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Editor: Michael Cole