Levadia's unpleasant lesson for Welshmen

The Champions' League hopes of Total Network Solutions were curtailed by a second-half collapse in the first qualifying round, second leg here at the Kadrioru Stadium last night.

The Champions' League hopes of Total Network Solutions were curtailed by a second-half collapse in the first qualifying round, second leg here at the Kadrioru Stadium last night.

The men from the village of Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain, hoping to become the first Welsh club to reach the second stage of Europe's premier competition, were made to pay by their Estonian hosts in a disastrous spell midway through the second half.

Andy Cale's team had held their own in the opening exchanges and were only a goal down at half-time, Toomas Krom having steered a misdirected clearance by Steve Evans past the TNS goalkeeper, Lee Williams, five minutes before the interval. However, three goals in the space of five minutes around the hour mark, courtesy of Juri Fenin, Vladimir Tselnokov and an own goal by their captain, Tim Edwards, put the tie beyond the reach of the League of Wales champions.

"We gave it our best shot, but the best side won over two legs," said Cale afterwards. "Perhaps the timing of this was all wrong for us. It was their 16th match of the season, whilst we have played only twice in three months - but that's the nature of European soccer."

Levadia Maardu: Pareiko; J Leitan, Staleiunas, Prins, Kolbasenko (Kirillov, h-t), Rytshkov, Ollimets (V Leitan, 66), Fenin, Bragin, Krasnopjorov, Krom (Tshelnokov, 59). Substitutes not used: Martinsons, Kulakov, Kalimullin, Gertsko.

Total Network Solutions: Williams; Parry, Coathup (Ward, 46), S Evans (G Evans, 68), Edwards, Alexander, Roberts, Toner, Wright, Edge (McKenna, 68), Maloney. Substitutes not used: Webster, Mottram, Powell, Wilson.

Referee: J Larsen (Den) replaced by N Vollquartz (Den), 22.