HJK go four points clear
HJK Helsinki have opened up a four-point lead at the top of the Veikkausliiga after they beat IFK Mariehamn 1-0 to claim their sixth successive win this season.
🔵⚪️ Maarianhaminasta tuliaisiksi täysi pistepotti
Roope Riskin maali toi maukkaan voiton ja kasvatti Klubin johtoa sarjakärjessä, kun samaan aikaan Inter hävisi KuPSille.
👉🏼 https://t.co/I3hjPu2zhV#HJK #Helsinki #Veikkausliiga #OnVainYksiKlubi #hjkhelsinki pic.twitter.com/xsKyKLMiET
— HJK Helsinki (@hjkhelsinki) June 14, 2021
The match
In a hard-fought contest, there wasn’t much to separate the sides in the opening minutes. But the visitors began to dominate and Janne Saksela was a threat down the right hand-side.
The scores were level at the break, but HJK stepped up a gear and almost took the lead when Atomu Tanaka was played through. His attempted dink over the goalkeeper was saved well by Oskari Forsman in goal.
It was all HJK and the hosts were pinned back in a deep defensive structure. However, IFK somehow didn’t take the lead on the hour mark.
They countered following a corner and had three forwards charging up the pitch. One of those was Niilo Mäenpää, who just had to pass the ball into an empty net after a rebound fell to him, but he delayed and delayed and Miro Tenho got back to make a vital block.
🔵⚪️ PÄÄLLIKKÖ! 💥🔥#HJK #Veikkausliiga #OnVainYksiKlubi pic.twitter.com/5SJnVLjPj7
— HJK Helsinki (@hjkhelsinki) June 15, 2021
After saving a goal, Tenho played a huge part in making one as six minutes later, he intercepted a pass and then played a defence-splitting through ball for Roope Risk to run onto. Risk was off-balance but did enough to finish past Forsman and score his third goal of the season.
IFK then had to push forwards in search of an equaliser and nearly got one but Jakob Tånnander made an important save. Riku Riski then should have wrapped up the points for HJK but he was denied by Forsman.
What does it mean?
HJK saw out the final minutes to win their sixth game in a row and move four points clear. After winning their first two games of the season, IFK Mariehamn have now lost their last five games, conceding 12 goals and failing to score a goal. They sit 10th in the table.
Inter Turku beaten as Oulu finally register a win
Elsewhere, Inter Turku were beaten 1-0 by Kuopion Palloseura to end a run of five consecutive league wins. They remain second in the table but are four points behind HJK.
Axel Vidjeskog scored the only goal of the game. AC Oulu won their first game of the season, coming from behind to beat fellow strugglers Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat (KTP) 3-1. They had lost their previous six games of the season and remain bottom, one point behind KTP.
💪VOITTOOOOO!!!
✅Kauden avauspisteet!
💨Meidän joukkue näytti tänään sellaista pohjoistavoimaa, että taitaa Kotkassa puhaltaa kylmästi muutaman päivän vielä meidän poistuttua.#ACOulu#Oulu#Laivastonsiniset#Veikkausliiga#Pohjoistavoimaa pic.twitter.com/lo5cw3qCbJ
— AC Oulu (@ACOulu) June 15, 2021
