A rousing second half performance saw HJK come from behind to defeat SJK and return to the summit of the Veikkausliiga table on Monday evening at Helsinki's Sonera Stadium .
The second half looked a completely different match as HJK regained their composure to turn possession into domination and force their opponents onto the back foot. The shift in momentum proved telling as the hosts found two goals in five minutes to turn the match on its head.
Alfredo Morelos, on loan from Independiente Medellin, was in fine form going into the clash having netted three goals in his last two matches. The Colombian striker made it four from three to equalise midway through the second half before Atomu "Atom" Tanaka completed the turnaround with a brilliant strike from the edge of the box to seal the comeback victory and also grab his fourth goal of the season in the process.
A miserably dark and cloudy day had made way for a sunny evening in Finland's capital prior to kick off. The crisp 4°C temperatures kept the 5,237 fans in attendance rugged up in the stands for what was set to be an intriguing tussle.
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| HJK thank Klubipääty for their unwavering support after the final whistle. |
HJK, nicknamed Klubi (the club), carries a continual target of championship glory. It's simply in their DNA having achieved this target 27 times in 108 prior seasons - curiously an exact 1 in 4 success rate which is an exceptional record of continuity for a team carrying over a century of history.
Their 2015 campaign buckled under the weight of expectation as SJK defied the odds to top the league in only their second top flight season, creating a legendary modern fairytale of Finnish football in the process.
Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho (the football club of Seinäjoki) was formed as recently as 2007. The newborn side played their first game in Kakkonen (translates to second division, the Finnish third tier) in 2008 and soon climbed to spend 2012 in Ykkonen (first division, second tier). Two seasons later they had earned promotion to compete in the 2014 Veikkausliiga in which they came second in their inaugural top flight season as well as lifting the Finnish League Cup.
This meteoric rise was a truly remarkable achievement for a club in only its eighth season of existence and one they will certainly look to build upon this season.
The hosts were out to set the record straight and to avenge the humiliation of their last league meeting, yet this was no simple task.
The match began with a quick tempo as SJK immediately pressed the hosts in possession to prevent them from settling into their natural possession based game. The visitors defended and attacked with pace to edge their opponents in the first half despite trailing on possession.
Roope Riski, whose 2015 loan move from FK Haugesund to SJK was made permanent this February, cut inside from the right to carve out the first chance of the match only to scuff his shot which safely bobbled into Thomas Dähne's hands.
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| Tarmo Kink impressed in the first half. |
Moments later at the other end AC Milan loanee Odu slipped Nikolai Alho into a goalscoring position in the box. Alho, widely considered as a bright prospect for an overdue Finnish national team call up, has been regaining his form after a lengthy injury layoff. The young prodigy is yet to find his scoring boots this season though as he rocketed his chance just over the crossbar to let the visitors off the hook.
SJK punished the missed opportunity midway through the first half when Estonian international Tarmo Kink, who was a continual thorn in HJK's side throughout the half, smartly played Matti Klinga into the box.
Klinga ran onto the well-weighted pass before centring the ball with his first touch, putting the opening goal on a plate for Tuco who tucked the ball into the back of the net with ease the greatest of ease.
Johannes Laaksonen then tested Dähne from the edge of the box, yet the young German keeper was determined to be beaten a second time and produced a confident save to hold the ball.
The visitor's high pressing game forced HJK to adjust their approach. They looked to play direct down the wings to catch SJK on the counter, yet Taye Taiwo's horrendous distribution combined with Odu's dive compounded frustration for the home fans who made their feelings heard.
The doom and gloom of HJK's first half was brightened late on as Taiwo and Odu made amends for prior errors by combining with Atom. The trio stuck together a slick passing move to play the Japanese attacking midfielder into space on the left flank. Atom delivered an inch perfect low cross for Morelos who glanced the ball just wide of the far post to end the half on an encouraging note.
SJK created their best chance to double their lead soon after the restart as Laaksonen flicked an exquisite pass over Lum Rexhepi's head to put Riski one-on-one with Dähne. The four-time Finnish international failed to take advantage, clipping his finish over the bar under the combined pressure of the onrushing keeper and Rexhepi breathing down his neck.
Having had little to genuinely cheer about the home fans erupted when Jarkko Hurme was adjudged to have back-passed to Mikhel Aksalu in the SJK goal. The referee duly awarded an indirect freekick on the edge of the six-yard box.
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| Mikhel Aksalu denies Taye Taiwo's close range freekick. |
The Estonian international goalkeeper, who clearly felt hard done by the call, was quickest to react to charge down Taiwo's ferocious shot after Odu had touched the indirect freekick into the big defender's path.
The ball was eventually headed behind by Klinga to keep the hosts at bay in front of Klubipääty who had drastically raised the volume in Sonera Stadium's southern end to spur their team onward.
The ensuing corner was well worked as Atom, Odu, and Alho combined to slide Odu into the box unmarked. The Nigerian centred to captain Ville Jalasto whose toe-poke was denied by Aksalu's block. After a moment of pinball in the box the ball was briefly cleared before Alho fired over once again.
With pressure mounting SJK were holding on by their fingernails and were finally broken in the 69th minute. Atom's floated corner evaded everyone and was recovered by Medo on the opposite byline.
The Sierra Leonean did exceptionally well to retrieve the ball, turn inside Kink, and pick out Morelos at the far post with a marvellous cross. The Colombian took full advantage, heading home the equaliser before celebrating with the home fans behind the goal.
With momentum having slipped out of his side's hands, SJK manager Simo Valakari brought attacking midfielder Alexei Eremenko Jr off the bench in an attempt to salvage the match.
As a youngster the Finnish international had developed into a prodigy for HJK between 2002 and 2004 before his big move to Lecce in the Italian Serie A. After a decade of trotting across the Ukrainian, Russian, and Scottish leagues, Eremenko Jr had returned to Finland in 2015 to play under his father, Alexei Eremenko Sr, at FF Jaro. The side's eventual relegation paved the way for a move the SJK and now a return to his former hunting grounds.
His return was not a joyous occasion as the match continued to slip away from SJK as moments later Morelos found space for himself in the box with a drop off the shoulder before fizzing a shot just past the far post.
The winning goal came soon afterward as Hurme's poor pass in defence evaded El-Hadji Kane, allowing Atom to steal possession. The crafty midfielder weaved his way toward the edge of the box before burying a delightful strike into the top corner to set the home fans into pandemonium.
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| Atom and co celebrate his winning goal. |
SJK dug deep to respond with Eremenko Jr and Jussi Vasara firing high and wide respectively either side of an attempt from range by Morelos which was well blocked by Aksalu.
As the visitors pressed forward in search of an equaliser they left themselves exposed to counter attacks in the closing minutes.
A quick break down the left from 17-year-old substitute Lassi Lappalainen culminated in a great cutback for Vincent Onovo. The Nigerian was an inch away from doubling Klubi's advantage as his finish rattled the underside of the crossbar before bouncing clear.
The visitors went all out in the closing moments as Aksalu joined his entire squad in HJK's box for the final two corners of the match. The hosts held their ground to clear both corners and take all three points from an entertaining clash.
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