Kuopio Palloseura celebrated its centenary on Friday by knocking down the reigning champion HJK.
The men’s football league leader HJK fell to a 1–2 defeat in Kuopio. After SJK beat Inter, HJK’s league lead is now two points to SJK and three points to KuPS.
Joona Veteli led the KuPS, but Top Middle brought the visitors from Helsinki to level just before the break.
In the 79th minute of the match Saku Savolainen headed the 2–1 winning goal that crowned the festive evening. For KuPS, the win was the third in three games after Jani Honkavaara replaced by the head coach Pasi Tuut. For HJK, the loss was the first in six games of the season.
Despite the freezing cold weather, the people of Savo had gone to the festive match in droves, as 5,423 spectators followed the victory of KuPS. The crowd kept the atmosphere high throughout the match.
– Finnish futis misses such holidays, HJK’s head coach Toni Koskela said.
SJK dramatically beat Inter at home, when Diego Rojas finished the 2–1 victory in extra time. SJK has no losses in five games, three wins.
At the end of the match, Inter Tommi Jyry leveled the game in extra time and at the same time broke SJK’s scoreless streak that lasted almost 400 minutes, but taking a point to Turku remained a dream when the home team scored the winning goal right after, which Diego Rojas was responsible for. The hero was allowed to leave the field immediately, as he celebrated his goal by taking off his shirt, which earned him his second yellow card of the night and thus a red card.
Honka, who beat FC Lahti at home 3–0, became fourth in the series by Kevin Jansen two goals scored. Fresh midfield acquisition Roman Eremenko36, was still missing from the bench, but the Honga Midfield was not without a hero for the German by Florian Krebs (0+2) and thanks to Jansen from Holland.
– The goals liberated. I am extremely happy and happy that Roman has already shown this week in training that he is still a top quality player. A really nice person – joined the group socially, Honga’s captain Henri Aalto said and promised that Eremenko will be seen next Tuesday in the Haka match.
Ilves was left with a toothache when Oulun Liimatta scored at the last second
AC Oulu took fifth place in the series, claiming a 2–1 victory over Ilves from Tampere. The winning goal was scored in overtime Take the Glue.
Ilves captain Petteri Pennanen a questionable run out stirred the emotions of the team from Tampere in the 86th minute on Friday. As a result, the chief judge got into the firing line Dennis Antamo.
Ilves guard Take Virta it was not only the team mate’s red, but also Liimata’s 2-1 winning goal that happened in the last second of the match that hurt.
– The last situation, and we were already going to the booth with the team. Our guys didn’t move anywhere. We were like shit, Virtanen snorted.
The other winners of the evening were Haka and VPS. Haka beat KTP 4–2 in a six-goal match at home, and VPS defeated IFK Mariehamn 2-1 at home. IFK Mariehamn is the league jumbo and the only winless team in the series, with one draw point from five games.
With the two opening goals of the season, VPS took its first win of the season.
– This was a big win. As a whole, this was deserved, but the situations should be scored even better, the head coach of VPS Jussi Nuorela said.