Tallinn trip a family affair for Shields

IT’S fair to say there aren’t many in League of Ireland circles who know much about Dundalk’s Europa League opponents Levadia Tallinn.

Possibly the one exception Waterford FC’s Sander Puri.

The 30-year-old is a fully fledged Estonian international with 69 caps to his name and started his career at Levadia when he made his debut as a 16-year-old back in 2005.

It’s nine years now since Sander departed the Kadriorg Stadium but he has kept tabs on the fortunes of his old side.

While many people point to Cork City’s 6-2 aggregate victory over the Estonians last season as proof that Dundalk should have no problems advancing to the second qualifying round against AEK Larnaca, Puri says that is a dangerous attitude for Stephen Kenny’s side to take.

‘ It’s hard to talk about Levadia because they’re so different to last season,’ he said.

‘Two top teams, Levadia and FC Infonet Tallinn, joined together so they are stronger this season. Their main target is to do well in Europe so it’s a tough game for Dundalk definitely.’

FC Infonet Tallinn were no pushovers, winning their domestic league in 2016 and the Estonian Cup a year later.

The combination of this has Puri convinced that his former side will be a much tougher opponent than is Waterford’s Estonian attacker Sander Puri.

they were 12 months ago.

‘I would say so because the teams came together and had more players to choose from. They’ve also brought some foreign players in and they have a new coach so they’re better this season.

‘Dundalk are favourites definitely but I think it’s quite even. Obviously Dundalk at home are very good but if Levadia can get a draw there they have a good chance depending on the result in Estonia.

‘Dmitri Kruglov, who was at the club in my time, is the most experienced player and their captain. He has played plenty of games in the national team and he’s still a IT’S hard to know what sort of odds you’d have got on Chris Shields scoring twice this season but it’s unlikely they’d compare with the scenario that has led Thursday’s game in Tallinn being something of a family affair for the Dundalk midfielder.

The 27-year-old fired the second either side of a Pat Hoban brace as Stephen Kenny’s side warmed up for their Europa League qualifier first leg tie with FCI Levadia with a 3-1 win over St Patrick’s Athletic in Richmond Park on Friday.

It was the first time he has scored two in a season since 2012 while it was a year prior to that since he scored a goal away from home.

If his goal against Pat’s was unlikely though then it doesn’t compare to the scenario that greets him in Estonia this week where bizarrely a family member awaits him.

‘It’s a funny one,’ explained Shields.

‘My wife’s brother’s partner is Estonian. They live in Australia but Monica has gone home for the summer and brought the two boys with her. The older one Alex is going to be at the game so I’ve got Colm Murphy to email Tallinn to see can he be the mascot walking out.

‘The odds on it happening are mad. They were always going to Estonia but I thought it would be about 50/1 that we’d get an Estonian team in the draw

good player there.’

Puri also revealed that Levadia are a side who like to get the ball down and play.

‘I haven’t seen much of their games this season but they try to play decent football. They’re not a team who kick the ball up front and fight for the second ball. They try to keep the ball and play with the ball.

‘Going by their results they’re going quite well at the moment but there’s a break at the moment in their season for the World Cup and they haven’t really played many competitive games for a few weeks. They’ve been in a training camp though and played some decent friendlies so they’re definitely ready,’ he said. but somehow it has worked out like that. It’s great though to think that there will be some family at it.’

While Shields will take great pride in having his brother-in-law’s son with him as he takes to the field at the Kadriorg Stadium, it will be very much down to business after that.

‘This is our fourth or fifth year in Europe in-a-row. When I was at Bray or Dundalk at the start I could never have envisaged playing in Europe. It’s a real honour and a real pleasure to go away and play these games. You’re travelling around Europe, seeing new cities and playing against other teams so it’s brilliant. You have to really savour them but you have to think with your head, do your homework and go and play them.

‘We never go away to these trips blind. We’ll do vigorous homework now and between Stephen, Vinny, Ruaidhrí and the lads behind the video we’ll be well prepared. We’ll pick out our dangermen like I’m sure they’ll be doing with us.’

A prize of a trip to face AEK Larnaca awaits the winner of the Dundalk-Levadia tie and while Shields isn’t taking his eye off the Estonians, he insists the Lilywhites have lofty ambitions of going through a few rounds.

‘It’s a difficult task to get through eight games to get into the group stages but we’re ambitious and for us that starts in Tallinn. We want to progress and hopefully we can.’