Veikkausliiga week 21 - HJK leave it late

After a pretty poor week for Finnish football, with HJK and Honka's European defeats meaning the end of Finnish involvement with UEFA before the end of July, league festivities resumed with matches on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

HJK 2-0 JJK

After three matches without a win (including both Champions League ties), HJK couldn't have asked for a different fixture - at home against bottom side JJK. But they made hard work of it. Some nice passages of play, plenty of chances created, but poor finishing could have cost them dear. In the end, goals from Demba Savaga (80 mins) and sub Joel Perovuo (90 mins) won them the points.

JJK's total socks didn't work

Highlights of HJK 2-0 JJK

HJK remain second in the table, with 40 points from twenty matches. JJK are twelvth, with seventeen points from 20 games.

Lahti 0-1 Honka

Going out of the Europa League with a decent performance, but a 2-5 aggregate defeat, Honka were looking for a result against the team in 11th. But they travelled to Lahti without injured Méïté, Yaghoubi and Väyrynen. An early goal from Kastriot Kastrati (18') sealed the points, and it was a hard earned win for the leaders. Lahti meanwhile confirmed that on-loan keeper Jesse Joronen would be returning to Fulham at the end of his loan.

Happy Honka celebrate (in white)

Highlights of Lahti 0-1 Honka

Honka are top of the table, with 42 points from 21 games. Lahti are eleventh, with 21 points from 20 matches.

Inter 2-2 KuPS

Inter were without a home win in six. KuPS without an away win in six. Of course this was going to be a draw. An early Gruborovics penalty (5') gave Inter the lead, but it was spectacularly equalised by Aleksi Paananen (19'). Sirbiladze pounced on a keeper error to slot home after a Bouwman shot, restoring the lead (31'), before a second half goal from Dawda Bah (67') ensured the game ended 2-2.

Highlights of Inter 2-2 KuPS

Last year's runners-up Inter are tenth, 23 points from 21 matches. KuPS are sixth with 26 points from 21 games.

Jaro 2-1 VPS

The big Ostrobothnia derby was built up, and alas saw Jaro keeper Jesse Ost harassed by VPS fans in the build up. The match itself saw two goals for Shahdon Winchester, his impressive debut season now showing seven goals for his trouble. The first was a neat finish on 4mins, the second on 79mins was from an acute angle. A late consolation from Jordan Seabrook meant little in the end.

Highlights of Jaro 2-1 TPS

Jaro are fourth in the table, with thirth points from 20 games (they had 33 in the whole of 2012). VPS are third, with 32 points from 20 matches.

MYPA 0-1 RoPS

A first away Veikkausliiga win since October 2011 (excusing a year in the second tier) for RoPS mean they go above with MYPA in the table - a third minute headed goal from Faith Obilor was successfully defended, and MYPA's good start is going to waste.

Highlights of MYPA 0-1 RoPS

MYPA are down to ninth place, with 26 points from 20 matches. RoPS go up to eighth, with 26 points from 21 games.

IFK Mariehamn 2-0 TPS

Topsy-turvy seasons for both teams, and it was Mariehamn who needed two late goals to win. They debuted Brazilian midfielder Bernado Ribeiro, but it was sub Kris Bright's 83rd minute goal (his eighth of the season) and new boy Tomas Hradecky's first goal (88') that sealed the points, and TPS to a sixth league match without victory.

Highlights of IFK Mariehamn 2-0 TPS

IFK Mariehamn are now up to fifth, with 28 points from 21 games. TPS drop below them, and are in sixth place with 27 points from 19 matches.

Out of Europe - Who beat the Finns?

After all the build-up, the excitement, and the waiting from October until now... Each Finnish club who entered European competition for 2013/14 were eliminated after one tie. Some did ok, others just didn't turn up. Here's a quick summary of their (short) campaigns.

HJK - Champions League qualifying round two

New HJK coach Sixten Boström took over at the end of 2012, with the brief to reach the group stage of either UEFA competition. HJK drew Estonian champions Nõmme Kalju in the second qualifying round, and put in two pretty tepid performances, and were duly eliminated. The first leg, in Helsinki, ended 0-0, while Kalju won 2-1 in Tallinn, and go through to round three, where even elimination will be rewarded with a Europa League play-off.

Kalju's Ceesay celebrates his goal against HJK

There has been much speculation to what will happen to HJK - at the time of writing, they're second in the table but have rarely looked fluid, while the big name signings of Teemu Tainio and Mikael Forssell haven't really clicked. Boström will surely be given the rest of the year at least to ensure a fifth straight Veikkausliiga title... But the pressure he complained of will now be even greater. Meanwhile, Kalju will play Czech title-holders Plzeň.

Inter Turku - Europa League qualifying round one

Last year's runners-up had gone through a rotten period in the league, and continued it into Europe. A 1-1 draw in the Faroe Islands against Vikinur was followed by a 0-1 defeat in Turku. But there was plenty of controversy.

Bouwman had a chance to level from the spot

Before the second leg, huge sums were traded on Betfair that both teams would score, far more than for a normal game. Both teams were awarded penalties in the second half, for fairly innocuous incidents. But Vikingur scored theirs, while Inter's Pim Bouwman missed. Inter eliminated, and lodged a complaint with UEFA, but it won't make any difference. Vikingur lost 0-7 on aggregate to Romanian side Petrolul in the second round.

TPS - Europa League qualifying round one

Again suffering an inconsistent start, TPS had finished 2012 in third place, and with it a spot in Europe. They were drawn against Luxembourg's Jeunesse Esch, and on paper it seemed like a good draw. It was the away trip to the Grand Duchy where the foundations were laid.

Chinese midfielder Wang (green), who scored two goals against TPS

A 2-0 defeat, and a shoddy performance, set the tone. Even a 2-1 home win was rendered useless, where Wayne Brown also missed a penalty. TPS exited after a 2-3 aggregate defeat, and Jeunesse were knocked out in the next round by Latvian club Ventspils, 1-5 on aggregate.

IFK Mariehamn - entered Europa League at qualifying round one

Mariehamn won their place in Europe thanks to the Fair Play route, and certainly made a big deal of their first foray into continental football. They were drawn against Azerbaijan's Inter Baku, a huge journey. They made the trip, but it proved costly - in a 1-1 draw, they lost key players Diego Assis and Dever Orgill for the season, after fouls from Baku defender Bruce Abdoulaye (dubbed the Butcher of Baku).

From the first leg in Baku

With the away goal, they returned to Åland with hope of a famous victory - but a 0-2 home defeat meant they left after just one home game. Mariehamn played well in parts, and showed plenty of spirit. But shorn of their two key attacking threats (they were already without Petteri Forsell), the rest of 2013 will be a struggle. Inter Baku lost 1-2 on aggregate to Norwegians Tromsø in round two.

FC Honka - Europa League qualifying round two

The 2012 Suomen Cup winners entered at round two - and were given a difficult task against Poland's Lech Poznań. The first leg was played in Vantaa (due to UEFA's ground regulations), however that was overshadowed by some naughty behaviour from the Lech fans, while the Police were accused of being over-zealous, which has started a debate about the cost of policing football. Lech won the first leg 1-3.

Not pictured - the ball

The second leg in Poland started with a bang - Honka keeper Viitala was recklessly fouled in the box after four minutes, two yellow cards were dished out, Lech scored, and Honka equalised - all before the eighth minute. A second Lech goal before half-time was the final one, and it ended Lech 2-1 Honka (5-2 agg) in front of over 15000 people. Honka did well, some neat play and committed defending, but the gap in quality was apparent. Lech progress to a third round tie against Žalgiris of Lithuania.

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By exiting at the first time for each club, Finland's UEFA co-efficient has already taken a big hit. Bosnia-Herzegovina have overtaken the Finns, while Kazakhstan and Iceland's representatives have improved their rankings. If the 2014/15 competitions have the same number of entrants (accounting for competition winners), Finland will lose a second round place for the cup winners.