Mariehamn thump Lahti to deny new boys Liiga Cup semi-final place as HJK advance

[p][b]A win of any kind would have seen [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lahti/pn1BFqRM/"]Lahti[/a] finish second in Group A, only for them to suffer a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/lahti-pn1BFqRM/mariehamn-C8bOhcyj/?mid=8rDSYGs0"]4-0[/a] defeat on the road to a side who were already eliminated.[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pearce-luke/YPleZC1g/"]Luke Pearce[/a] got the Aland Islanders of to a great start in the ninth minute, then [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mariehamn/C8bOhcyj/"]Mariehamn[/a] chose the perfect time to double their lead, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/larsson-adam/IN6z0MYG/"]Adam Larsson[/a] struck three minutes into first-half stoppage time.[/p][p]The home side came out for the second half with all the momentum, and it took just three minutes for Pearce to add his second after the break, before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/patut-emmanuel/IN3m4j0f/"]Emmanuel Patut[/a] ended the game as a contest after just 55 minutes.[/p][embed guid="69ff4bff-7273-45d4-bf4a-6044070527f8" url="https://x.com/Veikkausliiga/status/2029610472245182966" social-type="twitter" /][p]Reaching the last four would have been a real confidence booster for the newly-promoted side ahead of the league season beginning next month, but they had to settle for a fourth-placed finish in the group and seven points from five games, as Mariehamn overtook them.[/p][p]That meant [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hjk/nmjJVR7B/"]HJK[/a], who won their final three games all by a 3-1 score line, held onto second place in the group, behind [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/inter-turku/QwkNUoNH/"]Inter Turku[/a], who remain on course for a third successive Liiga Cup triumph.[/p][p][b]With Group B also completed, the Semi-final line-up for the Finnish curtain-raiser is now set, with both matches scheduled for 17:00 CET on 14th March.[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/ac-oulu-Y35Jer59/hjk-nmjJVR7B/?mid=ngVC9X9j"]AC Oulu vs HJK[/a][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/ilves-pYGmWmwa/inter-turku-QwkNUoNH/?mid=WSPsFgnT"]Inter Turku vs Ilves[/a][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/soccer/finland/liiga-cup/"]Follow the Liiga Cup knockout stage on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]