League Play-Off

Pispala
Spectators: 36 (Terracing: 28, 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. Reko Rimpiläinen started the match with the kick off. Heikki Kaltiainen took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Reko Rimpiläinen, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. Iikka Sillanpää stood for a superb save when he managed to get hold of Paavo Kaikkonen's shot from short distance in the 7th minute. 8 minutes into the match, Pispala IFK's goal looked a bit too open when Reko Rimpiläinen came free, but Heikki Kaltiainen reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. In the 13th minute, Pispala IFK's Paavo Kaikkonen ran free of his marker and smoothly shot the ball into the goal behind Iikka Sillanpää. Iikka Sillanpää yelled at his defense, as they had left him out to dry. 1-0. Iikka Sillanpää showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Paavo Kaikkonen, who was totally free with the ball in the 17th minute. After some careless play in the Kirkonkylä IFK defense, Paavo Kaikkonen kicked a shot that curved into the net to the right of Iikka Sillanpää. The Kirkonkylä IFK fans voiced their displeasure as they felt that Iikka Sillanpää should have stopped the shot. An unexpectedly hard shot by Eerik Wallen in the 23rd minute of play forced Kirkonkylä IFK's goalkeeper Iikka Sillanpää to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Iikka Sillanpää made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Paavo Kaikkonen in the 24th minute of play. After a rather tough play, Kirkonkylä IFK's Ossi Tuores got a free kick in the 25th minute. After having played for 26 minutes, Rainer Hedberg managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Pispala IFK's supporters crossed their fingers, but Rainer Hedberg was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. A collision led to Kirkonkylä IFK getting a freekick after 28 minutes play. Ossi Tuores hit a great ball. After 32 played minutes, Kirkonkylä IFK's Jussi Heinikallio shot from a long distance, and at first it looked like the ball was going into the goal, but the goalkeeper Heikki Kaltiainen came through and got his fingers on the ball before it flew over the goal line. He then quickly gripped the ball tighter before the forwards in Kirkonkylä IFK reached it. In the 35th minute, Eerik Wallen made a precise shot to the right of Iikka Sillanpää. Kirkonkylä IFK's defense was at fault, and the scoreboard reflected the new score, 3-0. Iikka Sillanpää showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Paavo Kaikkonen, who was totally free with the ball in the 39th minute. Iikka Sillanpää took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Paavo Kaikkonen, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. Iikka Sillanpää took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Paavo Kaikkonen, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. Rainer Hedberg received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 44th minute. Iikka Sillanpää tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. No-one was surprised that the home team were leading 3-0 at half-time.

Both teams looked relatively alert before the second half when the referee blew his whistle to tell Paavo Kaikkonen to make the kick off. When Paavo Kaikkonen came up free with the goalie in the 52nd minute, the Pispala IFK 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 Paavo Kaikkonen couldn't finish the play. Iikka Sillanpää showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Riku Jokiranta in the 53rd minute of the match. Pispala IFK's defense didn't have a chance, in the 55th minute, when Reko Rimpiläinen scored to the left of an out of position Heikki Kaltiainen, making the score, 3-1. The supporters of Pispala IFK booed when Kirkonkylä IFK was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 63 match minutes in a wonderful position. Teemu Viuhkola didn't get a good kick on the ball. Ossi Tuores hit a great freekick 64 minutes into the match. In the 67th minute Paavo Kaikkonen shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Iikka Sillanpää saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Arho Kosonen sent away a hard shot on goal in the 71st minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Iikka Sillanpää showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Paavo Kaikkonen in the 72nd minute of the match. 74 minutes into the match, Kirkonkylä IFK's goal looked a bit too open when Eerik Wallen came free, but Iikka Sillanpää reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. If Arho Kosonen had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 77th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Joona Pulkkinen could have scored with his fast shot on goal in the 81st minute of the match, but Heikki Kaltiainen made a huge save. Thanks to some nice foot action and superb ball handling Paavo Kaikkonen in the 84th minute a chance for a shot on goal. With an extended leg and a bit of luck Iikka Sillanpää prevented the ball from getting in the gole. Tenho Asukka fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 85th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Iikka Sillanpää having to interfere. The audience was convinced that Eerik Wallen's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Iikka Sillanpää was relentless in the 87th minute of the game. In the 91st minute, Joona Pulkkinen ran past the defenders and hit a shot which went straight ahead into goal. Heikki Kaltiainen was frozen by the shot and now it was 3-2.