Stalemate at the Top as HJK Put Five Past Jaro on Veikkausliiga's Return

Jaro 2-5 HJK

Fourth-placed HJK secured two wins in a row in style, but such a comfortable victory seemed unlikely at one stage when they trailed 2-0. Jaro took the lead inside four minutes as Fabian Ness aimed from 30 yards and his low strike nestled in the bottom corner. In the 17th minute, the hosts caught HJK on the counterattack, and Kaius Harden kept his composure to double the lead.

Just before the half-hour mark, the Helsinki side reduced the deficit when Alex Ring pounced on a loose ball inside the box and finished at the near post, and the score remained 2-1 until the 57th minute, when Ville Tikkanen found space at a corner to curl in the equaliser.

The turnaround was complete after 64 minutes when the ball was half-cleared to Miska Ylitolva, whose hit from the edge of the box took a big deflection on its way in. Soon after, the home side were torn apart as Liam Moller chased a through ball and pulled it back to give Mads Borchers the simplest of finishes.

A dreadful challenge from Michael Ogungbaro on Martin Kirilov saw him handed a straight red card with eight minutes to play, and a rapidly worsening afternoon for Jaro was compounded when Borchers added a second by burying Kirilov's cross on the half volley. It is a second loss in a row for 11th-placed Jaro since their only win of the campaign.

Inter Turku 0-0 AC Oulu

HJK are now seven points off the top of the standings after there were no goals between Inter Turku and second-placed Oulu, who remain three points behind. Alie Conteh was responsible for three of the hosts' five efforts on goal, but FC Inter could not find a way through. It is back-to-back draws for the leaders, but six unbeaten, while Oulu are four without defeat.

VPS 1-1 KuPS

KuPS missed the chance to go above Oulu as they were held to a draw at VPS, though it could have been worse for the visitors, as Luka Smyth gave the hosts an early lead but failed to convert a penalty soon after. Jaime Moreno equalised from the spot in the second half before Brahima Magassa was shown a red card for a foul inside the box, but Jayden Turfkruier became the second player for the Vaasa side to miss from the spot with seven minutes left. KuPS are six without defeat, while VPS are seventh after two games without a win.

Lahti 2-3 SJK

SJK ended their three-game losing run by winning an entertaining game at Lahti. After Kasper Paananen's early opener for the visitors, the home side turned things around with goals from Otso Koskinen and Aaron Lindholm either side of the break. But Olatoundji Tessilimi proved to be the hero, levelling 11 minutes from time before grabbing a 95th-minute winner that sees the Seinajoki side reach 10th, one place and two points behind Lahti, who have lost two of their last three.

Mariehamn 0-3 Gnistan

Mariehamn are still bottom of the pile and winless after being brushed aside by Gnistan, who sit sixth after three wins in their last four. Marcelo Costa and Joakim Latonen had the Helsinki club 2-0 up before the break, after which, Danny Perez added a third soon after coming on.

Ilves 1-0 TPS

Beaten 5-0 by Lahti last time out, Ilves responded well with a narrow win at home to TPS, who have lost three of their last four following a strong start. Jardell Kanga's looping volley separated the sides with 12 minutes to play, as the Lynx climb to eighth.