Bruno’s Magpies fall in injury time to Paide in Europa Conference League First Leg

Bruno’s Magpies and Paide Linnameeskond played out a 2-3 contest in the first leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League first qualifying round clash, held at the Europa Sports Complex in Gibraltar under the intense summer heat. The defeat a blow to Bruno's Magpies in injury time as they looked at holding the Estonian side but fell in the final minutes.

Originally, UEFA officials had considered rescheduling the match to a later time due to high temperatures, but the 5 p.m. kickoff went ahead as planned. Despite the demanding conditions, the match was notable for Bruno’s Magpies fielding seven homegrown players in their starting XI, marking a shift from previous European campaigns where locally trained players were less represented.

Paide struck early, taking the lead in the 8th minute through Robi Saarma, who scored directly from a free-kick. Magpies responded well, growing into the game and levelling the score in the 38th minute when Julian Britto found the net, assisted by Krasniqi after a sustained attacking spell.

Just five minutes later, Paide regained the lead through Martin Miller, who capitalised on a corner delivered by Saarma to make it 2-1. The Estonian side went into the break with the advantage, despite Gibraltar’s side producing a promising first-half display.

The second half saw the Magpies maintain their determination. In the 54th minute, Julian Del Rio brought the home side level again with a goal that reignited the crowd and lifted team spirit. Substitutions followed for both teams as the match remained tightly contested.

Both teams created further opportunities throughout the half. Gibraltar’s Clinton and Busto were active in the attacking third, while Paide continued to threaten from set-pieces and corners, with Saarma again involved heavily.

As the match entered added time, tension rose. In the 90+6th minute, Sergio Funez conceded a penalty after a foul on Miller, but moments later, Saarma found the net again in the 90+8th minute, levelling the scores once more at 2-2. However, this was Saarma’s second of the game, not a third, confirming his brace.

Despite late pressure, neither side managed to edge ahead in the closing moments. Bruno were however dealt a blow on the eighth minute injury time with the visitors awarded a penalty which they were to convert.

The 2-3 result leaves the tie finely balanced heading into the second leg, although with home advantage Paide's narrow victory places them as favorites to go through to the next round. For Bruno’s Magpies, the result and strong performance under tough conditions—with a significant number of homegrown players—represent a positive step forward in their development into the future, although the result hampers their progress towards the next round.

Updated: The final result was 2-3 for Paide who scored in injury time