League Play-Off

Mämmenkylä
Spectators: 35 (Terracing: 27, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) Dark clouds were building up when the players entered the field. None of the them looked very eager to play. Kristian Alin started the match with the kick off. In the 2nd minute, Topias Meriläinen hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Juha-Pekka Esala took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Keijo Pietikäinen, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. Kristian Alin sent away a hard shot on goal in the 5th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. An unexpectedly hard shot by Kristian Alin in the 12th minute of play forced AC Vaalimaa's goalkeeper Petri Vanhatalo to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Petri Vanhatalo made a fantastic save in the 17th minute, when Topias Meriläinen sent off a good shot on target. In the 24th minute Ale Karalahti shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Juha-Pekka Esala saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. AC Vaalimaa's defense didn't have a chance, in the 26th minute, when Kristian Alin scored to the left of an out of position Petri Vanhatalo, making the score, 2-0. Kristian Alin was extremely unlucky when he, in the 32nd minute, took a shot that hit the right post and went out. Topias Meriläinen struck a weak shot in the 35th minute. Petri Vanhatalo didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Mämmenkylä IFK. If Kristian Alin had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 37th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Petri Vanhatalo made a fantastic save in the 39th minute, when Topias Meriläinen sent off a good shot on target. Keijo Pietikäinen received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 42nd minute. Juha-Pekka Esala tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. The home fans were very happy to see their team leading 2-0 at half-time.

After 54 minutes, Saul Myllykoski mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Mämmenkylä IFK and the AC Vaalimaa players grew even worse after the yellow card. After 54 played minutes Mämmenkylä IFK got a freekick which was hit by Saul Myllykoski. In the 61st minute, Ale Karalahti reached a very good position and smashed the ball with a huge effort into the net, just to the left of Juha-Pekka Esala. The goal made the score 2-1. Mämmenkylä IFK's Juha-Pekka Esala played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Ale Karalahti in the 69th minute of play. If Kristian Alin had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 81st minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Petri Vanhatalo made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Kristian Alin in the 83rd minute of play. Reima Hirvonen hit a great freekick 85 minutes into the match. When the match clock showed 88 minutes, the score became 3-1 when Topias Meriläinen sped through AC Vaalimaa's defense and sent away a curving shot that went into the net to the right of Petri Vanhatalo. The audience was convinced that Topias Meriläinen's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Petri Vanhatalo was relentless in the 95th minute of the game. In the 96th minute, Kristian Alin made a precise shot to the right of Petri Vanhatalo. AC Vaalimaa's defense was at fault, and the scoreboard reflected the new score, 4-1.