Gnistan scored all six of his goals after an hour of play. Super substitute Benjamin Tatar became the decider.
Promoted Gnistan continued its upbeat streak in football’s Veikkausliiga, when it beat Ilves in Tammela 6–4 after wild stages. Eight goals were scored in the match after one hour of play.
The decisive goal was completed by the heel of the player who had just been substituted Benjamin Tatar, when there were 86 minutes on the clock. Tatar further embellished the readings by lifting the ball past Ilves’ goalkeeper in extra time Take Virtanen over.
Ilves led the match 2–0 after an hour of play. Then it started Joamik Latonen show. The Gnistan forward scored a hat-trick in the 18th minute.
At the hour mark, Latonen grabbed the ball at the attacking end and proceeded to score. 13 minutes later, he headed the match to 3-3 from a corner kick and soon completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot.
Between Latonen’s hat trick, Ilves also hit Don Arifi and of Gnistan Pauli Katajamäkiwhen the game was 4–3 for Gnistan.
Roope Risk brought Ilves level in the 82nd minute with his second goal of the match. Latonen was taken off the field a couple of minutes after this, and Tatar took care of the rest.
With the win, Gnistan rose to the top of the Veikkausliiga and to the top of the Latone series goal exchange. The fiery player now has four goals this season. Gnistan also won their opening match against Inter, who are among the early favorites of the series, 2–1.
In the interview with Ruudu, Latonen said that he last played a similar match in the school’s physical education class in floorball in the ninth grade.
– I don’t know how our rise was possible. Our style of play is like that, pretty fast-paced end-to-end footy. It was nice to come to silence this static, Latonen said in an interview with Ruudu.
The hat trick was 26-year-old Latose’s first in the Veikkausliiga.
Ilves goalkeeper Otso Virtanen was disappointed after the match.
– Embarrassing as hell. I don’t know how this is even possible. Every time the game was in our head, they vaccinated. Incomprehensibly. I don’t know where we were halfway through the match, Virtanen said in an interview with Ruudu.
Ilves has one point after two matches. In the second Veikkausliiga game of the day, IFK Mariehamn and KuPS meet from 5 p.m.
Latonen’s and Virtanen’s comments added at 16:20.