The New Saints kick off Conference League campaign in Estonia
The New Saints travel to Estonia on Thursday (KO 17:00 BST) for the first leg of their UEFA Conference League second qualifying round tie against Flora Tallinn. The New Saints aim to avoid another early exit after losing 2-0 on aggregate to Differdange 03 in the same stage last season.
League standing: 1st in Cymru Premier, 80 pts, 26W-2D-4L from 32 games, recent form WWWLW. The Saints lead the Welsh top flight by 22 points and have won their last five matches (WWWWW), most recently beating Barry Town 1-0 on 18 April 2026.
How did The New Saints reach this stage?
Craig Harrison’s side fell at the Champions League first hurdle, losing 4-1 on aggregate to Azerbaijani club Sabah. That defeat sent them into the UEFA Conference League, where they’ll face Flora Tallinn in the second qualifying round. Last year’s campaign ended in the same round after a 2-0 aggregate loss to Luxembourg’s Differdange 03.
Harrison is expected to make few changes from the side beaten 4-1 by Sabah at Park Hall last week. Josh Lock’s late cameo goal on his European debut caught the eye, while Isaac Jefferies returned from a four-month injury lay-off with a 30-minute cameo. Both could feature again if Harrison needs extra attacking spark.
Flora Tallinn: Estonia’s record champions with European ambitions
Flora secured their spot after a 5-4 aggregate Champions League defeat to Georgian side Iberia 1999. The Estonians became the first Baltic club to reach the UEFA Conference League group stage in 2021/22, though they’ve won just one of their last eight European ties since.
Now 10 points behind FCI Levadia in the 2026 Meistriliiga, Flora sit second in the table after Caernarfon Town were thrashed 10-0 over two legs in the Conference League first qualifying round. Konstantin Vassiljev, Estonia’s most-capped player, manages the side, having spent the final five years of his playing career there.
Among the squad’s internationals, 37-year-old winger Sergei Zenjov has 114 Estonia caps, while striker Rauno Sappinen scored against Italy in World Cup qualifying last year. Captain Rauno Alliku, 36, is the club’s record appearance holder with over 550 games since 2009. Teenage forwards Tony Varjund and Sander Alamaa have already impressed, both finding the net in the Champions League over the past fortnight.
What’s next for The New Saints?
A win in Tallinn would set up a third qualifying round tie against Andorran side Inter Club d’Escaldes. The New Saints have already plundered 81 goals in the Cymru Premier this season, conceding just 25 and sitting 22 points clear at the summit. Goals this season: 81 scored, 25 conceded (+56 goal difference).
Harrison will hope to avoid a repeat of last year’s second qualifying round exit. Flora, meanwhile, have their own ambitions - aiming to go further than their solitary European win in eight attempts since the 2021/22 group-stage run.
