Topi Keskinen ran through the entire field and led HJK to a 2-0 lead against Honka. HJK won 3–0. Its championship can be confirmed already on Sunday.
Sakari Lund,
Riku Salminen
HJK’s Top Middle completed a wonderful goal in the soccer Veikkausliiga match against Honka. Keskinen took the ball after Honga’s corner kick in front of his own goal. He ran through the field, dodged one sliding tackle and eventually deflected the goalkeeper Maksim Rudakovin.
HJK took a 2–0 lead at the beginning of the second half with Keskinen’s goal.
HJK’s opening goal came at the 15 minute mark. Joona Toivion a handsome free kick hit the net. The goal was the 35-year-old long-time national team topper’s first career in the Veikkausliiga.
– He wasn’t a very bad guy, but he went in, Toivio said.
Just before Toivio’s goal, the goalkeeper Jesse Öst kept the people from Helsinki up as he made three saves in a very short period of time. Especially Edmund Arko-Mensahin shot and Juhani Ojalan butt were dangerous.
At the end of the match Bojan Radulovic completed the final numbers 3–0. The hit was already the 17th of the season for the top scorer.
HJK is now close to the championship. The difference with KuPS is seven points, while HJK has two and KuPS three matches left. HJK’s championship can be confirmed already on Sunday if KuPS loses to SJK.
Head coach of HJK Toni Korkeakunnas incensed his team.
– The booth is full of work heroes. Third game in six days, you always have to charge your batteries and be ready. We have to change the lineup every game. The structures are fine, it seems it doesn’t matter who plays there. Great gang.
– When I started in mid-July, we had two goals. Should get into one of the groups in Europe and win the Finnish championship. You can pull a hook on one and the other one is there too.
In the lower continuation series, Ilves beat IFK Mariehamn 2–1. Scored the winning goal Santeri Haarala in the 85th minute. IFK Mariehamn’s position as the last in the series became even more difficult. The lynx, on the other hand, got further from the danger zone.