Veikkausliiga week 21 - TPS win local bragging rights

Whoever is in charge of fixture scheduling at the Finnish FA deserves an Oscar. The games were spread out, and the main drama was saved for Sunday afternoon.

The opening game of the round kicked off in Jyväskylä, with MYPA defeating the hosts JJK by 3-0 and are up to fifth place in the table. The star of the show was Pekka Sihvola with a second-half hat-trick, and he's now on nine goals for the season. This was only MYPA's second league win since the end of June, a period which also saw them exit the Europa League. Fellow European campaigners JJK are left in ninth place, with a five point cushion down to tenth, but not a comfortable lead.

Treble for Sihvola

The other Saturday game featured third place Mariehamn at home to strugglers Jaro, and the home win was always on the cards, with a 2-0 scoreline the result. Goals in each half, from Willhelm Ingves and Patrik Byskata took the home team up to second place, three points ahead of champions HJK who were playing on Sunday.

So to Sunday, and to Lahti. The defending champions from Helsinki were eliminated from the Champions League by Celtic, and handed a tough draw in the Europa League versus last year's finalists Athletic Bilbao. They were four points behind leaders Inter Turku and needed a win to keep their chances of qualification for the European Cup for 2013. Lahti had been in poor form, losing their last three games, but they turned the title race on it's head with a stunning 3-0 victory. Three goals in nineteen minutes made the difference, and not many people would believe that there is now only a six point gap between the teams. Lahti's next two games are against KuPS and Haka, and there's a good chance that gap could be smaller.

The leaders Inter knew what they had to do. Win their match, and they'd be seven points ahead of HJK, and four ahead of Mariehamn. But the match was away to neighbours TPS, and to use the old cliché, the form book goes out of the window. Inter started well, and took the lead with a twentieth goal from French forward Guy Gnabouyou. One nil down at half time, Marko Rajamäki must have given one hell of a team talk, and the league cup winners flew out of the blocks. Aleksi Ristola equalised after 49 minutes, Petteri Pennanen put the hosts in front, and two goals from Mikko Hyyrynen sealed the three points. TPS move to fourth, just five points behind their local rivals, game in hand... Inter hold a one point lead over Mariehamn, but have three home games in a row to come.

TPS celebrate their victory

Highlights

Sunday's other matches held importance of their own. VPS hosted a KuPS side still smarting from their 6-0 drubbing in Turkey. Several changes were made, however the visitors took all three points thanks to a late goal from Ilja Venäläinen, who came on at half time. KuPS leap-frog Jaro, while VPS sit in seventh, still only eight points behind the leaders. Jamaican striker Steven Morrissey made his return after heart-related problems as a first half substitute, VPS will be hoping he will bring goals to bring a push for a European place.

The final match of the round saw Honka entertain Haka. The goals were shared equally in Espoo, but Honka will be disappointed to concede a late goal, Jonne Hjelm rescuing a point for Haka, who are two points off the bottom. Haka face two more away games, at VPS and TPS. Of note, Tim Väyrynen scored his eighth goal of the season, and seven of these have been Honka's opening goal, a fantastic statistic showing how vital he is to them. The highlights were entertaining, and are shown below.

Highlights of Honka 2-2 Haka

Veikkausliiga week 20 - Inter extend their lead

Another round of games completed, and finally some daylight is opening up at the top of the table. Inter Turku have extended their lead at the top of the table to four points, after a routine victory away to Haka on Sunday afternoon. Late goals from Irakli Sirbiladze (his ninth of the season) and Solomon Duah sealed the points. Inter may benefit from their Europa League exit, with one less distraction to worry about, not that it was less painful at the time.

Sirbiladze in action at Haka

The four point lead was assisted by HJK's crazy 3-3 draw at home to VPS - the visitors were 1-0 up, then 3-1 before a late rally from the champions, recent signing Mika Väyrynen grabbing another goal . HJK made a few changes from the team that played Celtic in midweek, but dropping more points at home could mean that they will be involved in the Europa League next season. Celtic's forwards will have watched the highlights with pleasure.

Highlights of HJK 3-3 VPS

On Monday night, IFK Mariehamn had a chance to narrow the gap at the top to just two points with an away match at TPS. Two early goals were shared, Pistola opening the scoring for the hosts, Jani Lyyski's first goal of the year levelling, but he was to be sent off late in the game. IFKM have a chance to close the gap on Saturday with a home match against struggling Jaro, with TPS entertaining the leaders.

Speaking of Jaro, they hosted JJK on Sunday, hoping to pull themselves away from the bottom against their fellow strugglers. Unfortunately, JJK's recent good form continued with a routine 3-0 victory, featuring two goals from Nigerian Babatunde Wusu, now on ten goals for 2012. JJK are now up to eighth places, eight points from the bottom.

Highlights of FF Jaro 3-3 JJK

Bottom side KuPS, fresh from yet another European victory over Turkish side Bursaspor, were at home to Honka. The team from Kuopio again forgot how to translate their continental form to the domestic league, and conceded two goals early in the second half, and the win leaves them one point adrift at the bottom of the table. With a long visit to Turkey for Thursday, the visit to Vaasa to face VPS on Sunday takes on extra significance.

Highlights of KuPS 0-2 Honka

The weekend's other match was a mid-table clash between MYPA and Lahti. Pekka Sihvola put the hosts 2-0 up with his fifth and sixth goals of the season, before an own goal made it 3-0. An injury time consolation for Lahti made no difference, and means MYPA are seventh, Lahti ninth.