Tapas claimed a 34:24 victory over Viiamsi/Aleksela in the Meistriliiga on 22 September. The result keeps the home side in fourth place with two points from three matches. The visitors remain in sixth, having drawn all three of their opening games without picking up a point.
And here's the thing — this was a result that made sense on paper. Tapas had dropped points against Mista and Viljandi earlier in the month, but they also beat Viiamsi/Aleksela back in March. By then they knew what to expect. A straight knockout is what this turned into, and the home side put the game to bed early.
We had called for a home win at 61 per cent confidence and that's exactly what happened. To be fair, the away side had shown they could grind out results — three draws against stronger opposition — but against a side that was out-thought on the touchline, they couldn't find a way back. The academy graduate marked his first start with a goal, and that shifted the momentum.
The recent form tells a story too. Viiamsi/Aleksela had lost to Viljandi 29:33 and to Polva Serviti 22:39, so this defeat completes a difficult run. Tapas, meanwhile, had lost to Mista 21:27 and to Viljandi 20:23, but they also won 28:35 against Kehra and 27:25 against Viiamsi/Aleksela in the spring. Things came to a head on Tuesday.
The scoreline means Tapas move closer to the top half, while Viiamsi/Aleksela are still searching for their first win. Fourth place with two points is better than sixth with none, and the gap between them is now clear. The home side felt the pressure and turned it around after the break.