BK Häcken loss means Paide Linnameeskond out of UEFA Europe Conference League
Estonian Meistriliiga side Paide Linnameeskond's 2024-2025 UEFA Conference League qualification campaign came to an end Tuesday after a 7:2 aggregate loss to top Swedish side BK Häcken.
The UEFA Conference League is the third tier of European club football, and Paide had overcome Bala Town (Wales) 3:2 on aggregate, and then Stjarnen (Iceland) 5:2 on aggregate, to make it this far.
Since Häcken had won 6:1 in the first leg, at home, Paide had an almost insurmountable five-goal deficit to make up and, while they held the visitors to a 1:1 draw, the result didn't chip into that deficit at all.
The first goal of the second leg came rather unfortunately when Häcken's Adam Lundqvist's long-range shot took a strong deflection off left-back Joseph Saliste, leaving the goalkeeper no chance as the ball ricocheted into the net.
The hosts were able to equalize with a consolation goal in the 33rd minute, when winger Robi Saarma, on the receiving end of a through ball from Gambian forward Abdoulie Ceesay, took a shot from outside the box and hit the ball into the corner of the goal.
Häcken face Bundesliga team Heidenheim in the next round.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Helena Lindeberg