League Play-Off

Kulbacka Stadion
Spectators: 35 (Terracing: 27, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) The sun was shining, the grass was green and the audience cheered when Armas Rauvola got the match started through his kick off. Nuutti Erkkilä took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Armas Rauvola, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. Atte Vihtilä received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 6th minute. Nuutti Erkkilä tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. 9 minutes into the match, Kulbacka FC's goal looked a bit too open when Heino Kousa came free, but Antti Kärkkäinen reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Arvo Selänne kicked well hit freekick during the 9th minute of the match. Kulbacka FC's Antti Kärkkäinen played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Ilkka Niinimäki in the 13th minute of play. After 13 minutes, Lassi Lagerblom mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Kulbacka FC and the Paalasmaa FC players grew even worse after the yellow card. After a rather tough play, Kulbacka FC's Lassi Lagerblom got a free kick in the 14th minute. When Ilkka Niinimäki came up free with the goalie in the 15th minute, the Paalasmaa FC fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Ilkka Niinimäki couldn't finish the play. In the 19th minute Ilkka Niinimäki shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Antti Kärkkäinen saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. After 22 minutes, Ilkka Niinimäki made it 0-1 with a short kick to the right side. Kulbacka FC's Antti Kärkkäinen tried to save the shot but he was too slow in reacting to the shot. Arvo Selänne received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 25th minute. Nuutti Erkkilä tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. 0-2 became the score in the 28th minute when Heino Kousa elegantly shot the ball into goal just under the crossbar. Nuutti Erkkilä made a fantastic save in the 35th minute, when Atte Vihtilä sent off a good shot on target. In the 47th minute Armas Rauvola shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Nuutti Erkkilä saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Nuutti Erkkilä took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Armas Rauvola, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. After the first half Paalasmaa FC were leading 0-2. They had played with great self confidence throughout the first half and fully deserved their lead.

The players of the away team seemed most concentrated when Ilkka Niinimäki stepped up to make the kick off in the second half. 53 minutes into the game, Ilkka Niinimäki lined in a short shot 0-3 behind a frustrated Antti Kärkkäinen. After having played for 56 minutes, Atte Vihtilä managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Kulbacka FC's supporters crossed their fingers, but Atte Vihtilä was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. Iisakki Myllykoski charged in rather forcefully in the 59th minute of the match, and managed to knock his opponent down. The referee showed Iisakki Myllykoski the yellow card, and asked the players to shake hands before continuing play. The referee gave Kulbacka FC a penalty, 60 minutes into the game. The penalty shot was made by Auno Vaakanainen, who made a well placed shot into the net to the right of Paalasmaa FC's Nuutti Erkkilä. 1-3. Armas Rauvola scored 2-3 in the 63rd match minute with a shot that went into the goal to the right of Nuutti Erkkilä, who was just a little too slow in reacting to the shot. An unexpectedly hard shot by Atte Vihtilä in the 69th minute of play forced Paalasmaa FC's goalkeeper Nuutti Erkkilä to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Ilkka Niinimäki received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 70th minute. Antti Kärkkäinen tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. Ilkka Niinimäki sent away a hard shot on goal in the 73rd minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. After having played for 78 minutes, Heino Kousa managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Paalasmaa FC's supporters crossed their fingers, but Heino Kousa was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. 80 minutes into the match, Kulbacka FC's goal looked a bit too open when Ilkka Niinimäki came free, but Antti Kärkkäinen reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. An unexpectedly hard shot by Armas Rauvola in the 87th minute of play forced Paalasmaa FC's goalkeeper Nuutti Erkkilä to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. If Atte Vihtilä had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 89th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Atte Vihtilä fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 91st minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Nuutti Erkkilä having to interfere. Pietari Lahtela kicked well hit freekick during the 92nd minute of the match. Nuutti Erkkilä showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Armas Rauvola, who was totally free with the ball in the 94th minute. If Heino Kousa had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 97th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Ilkka Niinimäki struck a weak shot in the 99th minute. Antti Kärkkäinen didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Paalasmaa FC. The Paalasmaa FC supporters could be heard counting down the last seconds of the match. They errupted in celebration when the whistle blew, knowing Paalasmaa FC would go home with victory in their luggage after a match that easily could have ended differently.