The Lakesiders return to the UEFA Conference League having not qualified for last season’s edition of the competition, making it our ninth European campaign out of a possible 12.
The Town face the Estonian outfit of Paide Linnameeskond in the First Qualifying Round of this year’s competition, with our opponents having qualified for Europe in five out of the last five seasons after their rise to the top of Estonian football.
The Town completed their pre-season with a 2-0 defeat to Colwyn Bay last Friday, having faced Larne and Pwllheli in previous friendlies in preparation for the European campaign. On the other hand, Paide have just reached the halfway stage of their domestic season, and are sitting in fourth position and come into today's European tie on the back of a 2-2 draw against Narva after coming back from 2-0 down.
The Match
Bala Town vs Paide Linnameeskond
UEFA Conference League First Qualifying Round First Leg
Park Hall, Whittington, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY11 4AS
Thursday 11th of July, 7:00pm kick-off
Admission: Tickets are available HERE - NO Tickets will be available on the gate
Programmes: A digital version of our Matchday Programme will be available on Matchday through our social media channels.
Livestream: Supporters who are unable to attend the match can purchase a live stream for €10 at the following link - https://solidsport.com/balatownfc
Insight into our opponents
Form: (Domestic Only)
(H) Narva 2-2 - Meistriliiga
(A) Kuressaare 0-2 - Meistriliiga
(H) Parnu JK Vaprus 0-1 - Meistriliiga
(A) Tallinna Kalev 2-5 - Meistriliiga
(A) Flora 2-0 - Meistriliiga
(H) Levadia 0-1 - Meistriliiga
Danger Man
Robi Saarma: The 23 year old joined Paide in 2022 after a 25+ goal season at Nomme Utd, and would then continue his goal scoring habits in his first season with Paide, as he netted 15+ goals for his new side. The Estonian has represented his country at U18, U19, U21 and senior level, having made his senior debut in a friendly against Finland in January 2023. Saarma has gone on to score 10 goals in 20 appearances so far this season and currently sits in fifth place in the top goal scoring charts of the Meistriliiga.
Match Officials
Referee: Matthew MacDermid (SCO)
Assistant Referee: David Roome (SCO)
Assistant Referee: Christopher Rae (SCO)
Fourth Official: Ross Hardie (SCO)
Keep Up To Date
Unable to make it to Park Hall? We have you covered! Make sure to follow us on our Twitter and Facebook handles to check out our match updates throughout our UEFA Conference League tie with Paide Linnameeskond!
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