Cut adrift Mariehamn shock leaders KuPS as Gnistan win thrilling Helsinki derby

[p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/kups-nLBbqJDS/mariehamn-C8bOhcyj/?mid=EwHyoSzA"]KuPS 2-4 Mariehamn[/a][/b][/p][p]By beating [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sjk/hj3ima3I/"]SJK[/a] a week earlier, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mariehamn/C8bOhcyj/"]Mariehamn[/a] finally registered a win this season at the 20th time of asking, but an away trip to champions and league leaders [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kups/nLBbqJDS/"]KuPS[/a] would provide a much tougher test, even if they did pick up a rare point at home in the reverse fixture.[/p][p]As it turned out, it was a test the Aland islanders were ready for - they took the lead in some style in the sixth minute, when[b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/larsson-adam/IN6z0MYG/"]Adam Larsson[/a] took aim from 25 yards[/b] and leathered the bouncing ball into the top corner.[/p][embed guid="6ce0a987-d1cd-4358-a866-299b8ab58966" url="https://x.com/Veikkausliiga/status/2091509360933433606" social-type="twitter" /][p]The lead lasted all of five minutes, as [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/engvall-gustav/lWSV27Ob/"]Gustav Engvall[/a] drew the home side level[/b], but the early goal-fest continued, as [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/svedberg-jonathan/zD6CMJrP/"]Jonanthan Svedberg[/a] turned provider to scorer [/b]and restored the visitor's advantage in the 14th minute.[/p][p]Before half-time, the shock factor grew as Mariehamn opened a two-goal lead - KuPS were powerless to stop [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/richtner-ludvig/UVt2oKKo/"]Ludvig Richter[/a], who surged down the right wing, cut into the box and gave [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kreidl-johannes/U5piqW3F/"]Johannes Kreidl[/a] no chance[/b] with his finish.[/p][embed guid="9cce0303-e92a-403a-ae5f-a8a8fd1a1392" url="https://x.com/Veikkausliiga/status/2091512955351273772" social-type="twitter" /][p]It was game on again just before the hour mark, as [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/antwi-clinton/8l3jyuS9/"]Clinton Antwi[/a] found [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/parzyszek-piotr/8Kls3hfE/"]Piotr Parzyszek[/a] to score[/b] for the second time this week after netting against Shamrock Rovers, but again parity was short-lived, as the side at the foot of the standings scored their fourth just three minutes later, [b]as Richter completed his brace.[/b][/p][p]Mariehamn saw out the victory from there, meaning the six points from their last two games is more than the total they amassed in their first 19. For KuPS, it's just a second league defeat of the season.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/gnistan-Aa28K98n/hjk-nmjJVR7B/?mid=vuaAQcke"]HJK 2-3 Gnistan[/a][/b][/p][p]Gnistan came from 2-0 down to earn an unlikely victory in the Helsinki derby away at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hjk/nmjJVR7B/"]HJK[/a] which not only secures their place in the championship group, but takes them above their neighbours into third.[/p][p]The visitors looked set for a nervy final day when they found themselves two down at the break - [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haarala-santeri/rsdd4sdf/"]Santeri Haarala[/a] found the empty net[/b] after goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/juricka-matej/vq9s5fA9/"]Matej Juricka[/a] and forward [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/borchers-mads/OfE2qhds/"]Mads Borchers[/a] collided, before [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tikkanen-ville/Y7rTAqJd/"]Ville Tikkanen[/a] slammed the second into the top corner [/b]to complete a free-kick routine.[/p][p]With a quarter of the match to go,[b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/akinyemi-adeleke/d2oRQFu0/"]Adeleke Akinyemi[/a] raced away to pull one back[/b], and seven minutes from time [b]his header from a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/milovanov-bogdan/SA3fSiu0/"]Bogdan Milovanov[/a] cross had Gnistan level[/b].[/p][p]And in the 89th minute, pressure from Akinyemi forced a turnover in HJK territory, before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/perez-danny/8hXA3ckH/"]Danny Perez[/a] forced a mix-up between his marker and goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/markovic-matej/AD3sFxbs/"]Matej Markovic[/a], and [b]Perez rolled the ball into the empty net[/b] to complete the turnaround for Gnistan.[/p][p]Back-to-back wins see Gnistan move within eight points of leaders KuPS, with HJK a point further back as their own two-game win streak came to an end.[/p][embed guid="b7555c7f-efee-4e89-80bb-87ef4baf83b3" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2362cnwZURE" social-type="youtube" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/inter-turku-QwkNUoNH/tps-dM4FE3tT/?mid=QHzsPpEj"]TPS 0-0 Inter Turku[/a][/b][/p][p]The Turku derby was unable to live up to the entertainment levels of the day's other two matches, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tps/dM4FE3tT/"]TPS[/a] hosted a goalless draw, meaning [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/inter-turku/QwkNUoNH/"]Inter Turku[/a] couldn't take full advantage of KuPS' loss, only cutting the gap at the top to four points.[/p][p]TPS will have to beat Gnistan on the final day of the regular season and hope [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ac-oulu/Y35Jer59/"]AC Oulu[/a] lose to SJK if they are to snatch the final championship group place, but they are fortunate still to have a chance after they had [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/visser-kian/tndkc525/"]Kian Visser[/a] sent off in the 62nd minute for elbowing his marker in an off-the-ball incident.[/b][/p][p]While there were no goals, the heated exchanges continued beyond the final whistle, as both side extended their unbeaten runs to four games.[/p][embed guid="6b1e016c-07a4-4d7c-8223-2d76c40ef003" url="https://x.com/Veikkausliiga/status/2091565460152099185" social-type="twitter" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/soccer/finland/veikkausliiga/"]Follow the Veikkausliiga on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]