League Play-Off

Pockar
Spectators: 35 (Terracing: 27, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) The sun was shining, the grass was green and the audience cheered when Yrjänä Torkki got the match started through his kick off. Sulo Väätäinen received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 5th minute. Veikko Venäläinen tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. If Sulo Väätäinen had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 10th minute. The ball went over the crossbar instead. 15 minutes into the match, Mercedes Benz FC's goal looked a bit too open when Kalle Kivimäki came free, but Paavo Askolin reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Veikko Venäläinen showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Sulo Väätäinen in the 22nd minute of the match. After 27 minutes, Petri Kuusela mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Pockar and the Mercedes Benz FC players grew even worse after the yellow card. In the 28th match minute, Pockar was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Petri Kuusela to maneuver through the defense. With a little luck, Mercedes Benz FC's Paavo Askolin got control of the ball when Saku Eskola tried to sneak it across the goal line. Saku Eskola fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 47th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Paavo Askolin having to interfere. The score stood at 0-0 when the half time whistle went. Both sets of players seemed reasonably pleased with how the match was going.

Both teams looked relatively alert before the second half when the referee blew his whistle to tell Kalle Kivimäki to make the kick off. 51 minutes into the match, Pockar's Saku Eskola sent off a blazing shot straight on target, a shot that Paavo Askolin narrowly saved just below the crossbar. Pockar's Veikko Venäläinen played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Pentti Valin in the 66th minute of play. Petri Kuusela got his second yellow card in the match during the 69th minute which meant that he had to leave the ground. The supporters of Mercedes Benz FC booed when Pockar was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 69 match minutes in a wonderful position. Petri Kuusela didn't get a good kick on the ball. Pockar's Veikko Venäläinen proved his good apprehension of play when he, in the 72nd minute of the match, managed to save Pockar from getting a goal against them. Touko Lönnblad hit a great freekick 73 minutes into the match. Veikko Venäläinen was out of position in the 80 minute of play, and Pekka Sjögren capitalized on the mistake with a soft shot into the goal. Pekka Sjögren really showed his touch with that goal: 0-1. Oskari Askolin's late challenge caught a Mercedes Benz FC's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Oskari Askolin helped the player get up and apologised. Pekka Sjögren received a nice pass, split the defenders, and ran untouched towards the goal. Veikko Venäläinen came out and tried to block the shot, but Pekka Sjögren slotted it home off the left post making it 0-2 in the 85th minute. When the final whistle was heard the away supporters stood up and showed their joy. Mercedes Benz FC had managed to secure a win in what was a close match throughout.