FC Lahti, on the other hand, suffered a crushing defeat.
Perparim Hetemaj decided the game on Sunday. Matti Raivio/AOP
On Sunday, HJK started the Veikkausliiga championship series with a 2–1 win over SJK. Perparim Hetemaj scored the winning goal only in the 87th minute.
The hit was special. The people of Helsinki Lucas Lingman tried to pull towards the SJK goal, but the shot failed.
The ball seemed to go past the goal, but Hetemaj got in between and headed the ball into the SJK goal.
SJK protested that the goal was offside, but the referee accepted the hit.
– The winning goal left a bad taste in the match, and SJK might have deserved at least a draw, the club stated in its press release.
HJK opened the goal account of the match Try Soir by hitting already in the 8th minute. SJK’s Jake Jervis equalized six minutes later.
Own goal
Three matches were played in the challenger series on Sunday.
IFK Mariehamn beat FC Lahti bluntly 6–0. Brazilian reinforcement Dé scored two hits. The third hit of the match was recorded as an own goal by the people of Lahti.
AC Oulu beat HIFK, who finished last in the regular season, 4–1 and VPS Ilves 3–2.