Perhaps 'week 10' is incorrect - the many recent moans of the Veikkausliiga coaches relate to the number of matches being played. Maybe 'round 10' is more appropriate. Either way, Wednesday saw another full round of fixtures, for most teams a third match in six days. Here's what happened...
TPS 2-4 IFK Mariehamn
Undoubtedly the match of the week, it had goals and drama. Two of Finland's Europa League representatives met in Turku, both needing to find some consistency.
Mariehamn's Jamaican striker Dever Orgill was the key man - he scored twice (31 and 54 minutes) to give the visitors a 0-2 lead, and he has five goals in four games. TPS looked dead and buried, but they managed to pull it back - English midfielder Wayne Brown got one back from the penalty spot on 74 minutes, and substitute Aleksi Ristola equalised eight minutes later with a fantastic finish after a poor clearance.
Jarkko Hurme tries to hide (photo via Tatu Lertola)
But Brazilian midfielder Diego Assis gave Mariehamn the lead again with a fine effort, and IFK sub Kris Bright came on and got a late fourth. A cracking end to the game, and signs that IFK Mariehamn can get by without injured Petteri Forsell. TPS meanwhile lose for the fourth time in nine games, and are showing a Jekyll and Hyde character to their performances.
Highlights of TPS 2-4 IFK Mariehamn
TPS are seventh in the league, with thirteen points from nine games. IFK Mariehamn are sixth, with fifteen points from their ten matches.
Honka 1-0 Lahti
Honka's fourth league win in a row took an age to come, and they certainly made it difficult against a Lahti side who are in a definite funk.
Not quite the magic touch (photo via Martti Kainulainen)
Kastriot Kastrati had scored five goals in his previous five matches, but he will remember this game for the wrong reasons. Two yellow cards in four first half minutes saw him leave the field after just 27 minutes. It took 87 minutes for the only goal of the game to arrive, and it was Antti Mäkijärvi with a sharp free kick from 30 metres, beating Jesse Joronen.
Highlights of Honka 1-0 Lahti
Honka now sit third in the table, seventeen points from ten matches, and only three behind the leaders. Lahti are eleventh, with six points from nine games, three ahead of bottom side JJK, but now five points from 10th.
JJK 1-3 HJK
HJK streamed this game live, but I wasn't sure if it was a poor feed, or the pitch was really that bad. Either way, it was bottom against top, and it's not hard to guess what happened.
The Jyväskylä male model contest didn't go well (photo via Kautto Jaana)
The champions opened the scoring after 21 minutes, through Demba Savage's fifth league goal of the season. Shortly after, JJK striker Babatunde Wusu took a yellow card for a ridiculous dive, but made up for it with a neat goal on 31 minutes, pouncing on poor defending. Teemu Tainio, returning after a 3 match ban, was subbed off just after in clear discomfort. The second half saw HJK toil, but eventually take the win after goals by Sumusalo (77) and Forssell (83).
HJK extend their lead at the top to three points (ahead of VPS), they have twenty points from ten games. JJK are still stuck in twelvth, three points from nine games.
VPS 2-1 Jaro
The derby of Ostrobothnia saw the men from Vaasa triumph, but they left it late. VPS had started well this season, tipped by most to struggle. Jaro meanwhile had played well in most games, but were dropping too many points.
Ameobi, in black and white stripes, holding off the defender
It was Jaro who took the lead, Jonas Emet scoring a penalty on 38 minutes. But VPS came back with an early goal in the second half, Jarno Parikka's attempted pass going in off Mathias Kullström just a minute after the break. Parikka himself scored the winner after a quick throw-in, eight minutes from the end, his third league goal of 2013. The result also means Finland midfielder Tim Sparv needs to sort out nine signed shirts, after running a contest on his Twitter to guess the score and final scorer.
Highlights of VPS 2-1 Jaro
VPS go back up to second in the table, with seventeen points from nine games - three behind HJK with a game in hand. Jaro are tenth, with eleven points from nine games, and five ahead of eleventh-place Lahti.
RoPS 2-1 MYPA
The need to avoid travel obviously suits RoPS well. A fourth win in six home games against MYPA, who'd started the day second, keeps the points tally ticking over nicely.
RoPS scorer Otaru (photo via Veli-Jukka Mustajärvi)
New arrival Nicholas Otaru scored both goals for the hosts, one in each half, his first since signing from Honka over the winter. MYPA got a consolation through Thomas Aho with four minutes remaining, not that you may realise - I doubt more than a handful of fans made the long trip from Kouvala to Rovaniemi.
Highlights of RoPS 2-1 MYPA
RoPS sit in eighth place after their ten games, with 13 points. MYPA drop to fourth, with sixteen points from nine matches.
KuPS 1-1 Inter
Kuopio played host to a fairly uneventful 1-1 draw, with KuPS sliding back into mediocrity, after a promising lift in form. Dudu headed in from a corner after 59 minutes, but Inter saved a point with a goal from Irakli Sirbiladze with six minutes left. It was the Georgian's third goal in 2013, still some way to go to match the 17 he scored in 2012.
Sirbiladze steals in (photo via Vartaloharhautus)
Highlights of KuPS 1-1 Inter
KuPS are ninth in the table, with twelve points from ten games. Inter are fifth, with fifteen points from their ten matches.
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