Puri steals the show for Estonia
Wednesday 1 April 2009
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Sander Puri (left) scored the only goal of the game (©Getty Images)
Sander Puri's winner for Estonia seven minutes from time kept Armenia at the foot of FIFA World Cup Group 5, with the sides having drawn 2-2 in Yerevan on Saturday.
Sharp saves
Under caretaker coach Vardan Minasyan, Armenia started the stronger of the two sides with Edgar Manucharyan testing Sergei Pareiko from distance, while Estonia defender Ragnar Klavan was also forced to head a shot away from danger. Tarmo Kink twice let fly at Gevorg Kasparov's goal but to little effect, but the keeper later made sharp saves to deny Kirsten Viikmae and Konstantin Vassiljev.
Useful deflection
The second half followed a similar pattern to the first, with Pareiko blocking Vahagn Minasyan's early effort, while FC Karpaty Lvyv forward Sergei Zenev passed up a decent chance at the other end. Artavazd Karamyan then broke through, only to be denied by Pareiko, before Puri's shot from the edge of the area was deflected into the Armenian net by Robert Arzumanyan. Armenia meet Bosnia-Herzegovina in their next game on 5 September, with Estonia visiting Turkey on the same day.
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