The New Saints suffered penalty shootout heartbreak against Flora Tallinn to exit the UEFA Conference League at Park Hall on Thursday evening.
Trailing 1-0 from the first leg in Estonia last week, the Saints levelled the tie through Ben Wilson’s strike in the 91stminute, but were then beaten from the spot in agonising fashion.
Craig Harrison’s team finished the first leg the stronger side and they showed early promise back on home turf as Rhys Hughes fired wide and Jack Bodenham couldn’t quite direct a header goalwards.
Nathan Shepperd was a standout performer last week and he showed his worth again by keeping out Sander Alamaa’s effort.
TNS continued to dominate possession and the opportunities while rarely troubling Evert Grunvald in the Flora goal. Danny Davies consistently found space on the right as he pushed forward from full-back but sent multiple efforts off target.
As Ryan Brobbel flashed a delivery across the box to no avail and Isaac Jefferies saw a dangerous cut back pushed away by Grunvald, TNS would have been wondering what more they could do.
However, in the first minute of stoppage time, a long ball into the box was chested down by Jack Bodenham to substitute Ben Wilson, and the Northern Irishman clinically fired into the bottom corner to level the tie. It was Wilson’s first appearance since March after being sidelined with injury and he certainly showed the quality TNS lacked in his absence.
As is often the case, extra-time was a period of few chances and a penalty shootout soon beckoned. After Tristan Teevali scored Flora’s first attempt, Wilson saw his effort saved to put TNS immediately on the back foot. After Rauno Alliku and Ryan Brobbel both netted, Shepperd denied Tony Varjund but the Saints could not level it up as Josh Lock blazed over the bar.
Maksim Kalimullin scored to put Flora on the brink of victory, and while Dan Williams kept it alive with his calmly taken effort, Taaniel Usta fired home the winning the spot-kick to send the Estonians through.
It brings to an end another disappointing European campaign for TNS, who have not won a tie in continental competition since reaching the League Phase of the UEFA Conference League two years ago.
“It’s devastating,” Craig Harrison admitted after the game. “I thought we did really well in the 90 minutes, but ideally we would have scored earlier than we did and tried to win the game in 90 minutes.
“But we didn’t and then to go to penalties and lose like that is heartbreaking. To go out of Europe at any stage is a blow because we want to move forward and progress as best we can.”
